Hamas announced it will delay the scheduled release of more Israeli captives planned for Saturday “until further notice,” citing Israeli violations of the ceasefire in Gaza.
Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said Monday that the captives will “remain in place until the occupying entity complies with past obligations and compensates retroactively.”
Israel and Hamas are currently observing a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas has been releasing captives taken during its October 7, 2023, attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Abu Obeida accused Israel of violating multiple aspects of the truce brokered between the two sides.
“Over the past three weeks, the resistance leadership monitored the enemy’s violations and their non-compliance with the terms of the agreement,” he said.
“These violations include delaying the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza, targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Gaza Strip, and failing to allow the entry of relief materials in all forms as agreed upon. Meanwhile, the resistance has fulfilled all its obligations.”
The Qassam Brigades spokesperson reaffirmed the group’s “commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation adheres to them.”
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz responded swiftly, calling Hamas’s decision a “complete violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
“I have instructed [the military] to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza,” Katz said.
The two sides have carried out five exchanges since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 Israelis and more than 730 Palestinians. The next exchange, scheduled for Saturday, was set to release three Israeli captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Several Palestinian civilians have been shot and killed by Israeli forces as they attempted to return to their homes. Meanwhile, the number of wounded Palestinian patients evacuated from Gaza, as well as humanitarian aid trucks entering the territory, has been lower than what was promised in the ceasefire agreement.
The Qassam Brigades’ announcement follows recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who raised concerns about the sustainability of the ceasefire agreement. Trump has repeatedly suggested relocating Gaza’s population and stated that the U.S. would take “ownership” of the territory.
The first stage of the ceasefire deal is set to expire on March 1. The second phase, which would see the release of all captives and a permanent ceasefire, has yet to be finalized. The third stage is intended to usher in a multi-year plan for Gaza’s reconstruction.
Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti accused Israel of violating the agreement in three ways: obstructing temporary housing and humanitarian aid, shooting at civilians in Gaza, and supporting Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians.
“More than that, now Netanyahu is threatening to go back to war, and he’s declaring that he will never stop the war,” Barghouti told Al Jazeera.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated last week that he remains committed to the war’s objectives, including dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.
Before Abu Obeida’s statement Monday, senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Al Jazeera that Israel has not upheld its obligations under the agreement.
“In the last three weeks after signing the deal, we have been in very serious talks and negotiations with the mediators—the Egyptians, the Qataris, and the United States—about the daily violations by the Israelis of the deal,” Naim said.
He added that 25 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded by Israeli forces since the ceasefire began.
