Hamas suspends hostage release, says Israel is not following ceasefire agreement

Hamas said Monday it was suspending this weekend’s hostage release in the Gaza Strip, blaming Israel for not following the terms of a ceasefire agreement that paused the 15-month war in the Palestinian enclave.

Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, cited alleged Israeli violations of the deal over the past three weeks, including delaying the return of the displaced people to northern Gaza, not allowing aid to enter the enclave, and shelling and gunfire in various areas of the strip.

As a result, the handover of hostages scheduled for Saturday “will be postponed until further notice” and until Israel “commits to and compensates for the past weeks retroactively,” Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida said via social media.

The announcement triggered alarm among families of hostages, with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum appealing for help from countries mediating the next and second stage of the ceasefire.

“Recent evidence from those released, as well as the shocking conditions of the hostages released last Saturday, leaves no room for doubt — time is of the essence, and all hostages must be urgently rescued from this horrific situation,” the group said.

At Saturday’s hostage release — the fifth since the ceasefire agreement began on Jan. 19 — Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami looked frail and weak.

Qatar, the United States and Egypt have helped mediate the talks between Israel and Hamas, with negotiators due to hammer out details of the deal’s second phase now.

Israeli officials denounced the announcement, with Defense Minister Israel Katz calling it “a complete violation of the ceasefire agreement.”

“I have instructed the IDF to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza and to protect the communities,” he said. 

The announcement will worsen the uncertainty surrounding the fragile ceasefire, the future not only of the hostages and Palestinians prisoners and detainees who are due to be released in exchange, but also the next steps for the region as a whole.

President Donald Trump last week was condemned across the Middle East after he floated a plan for the U.S. to take control of Gaza — and turn it into the “riviera of the Middle East.”  In an interview with Fox News set to air Monday, he said that under the plan Palestinians in Gaza would not have a right to return to their home after the enclave was rebuilt.

“We’ll build beautiful communities for the 1.9 million people. We’ll build beautiful communities, safe communities — could be five, six, could be two, but we’ll build safe communities a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is,” Trump said in the Fox interview.

After Trump’s initial comments last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted Trump was “committed to rebuilding Gaza and to temporarily relocating” Palestinians during those reconstruction efforts. 

According to local health officials, close to 48,000 have died in the war in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack where 1,200 were killed and 251 were taken hostage.