Hamas said it’s delaying the release of Israeli hostages until further notice, accusing Israel of breaching the Gaza ceasefire agreement. ”Violations include delaying the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza, targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Strip, and failing to allow the entry of humanitarian aid in all its agreed-upon forms,” Hamas said.
Israel called the decision a “complete violation” of the ceasefire deal, which began last month. ”I have instructed the IDF to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza,” said Defence Minister Israel Katz. In total, 17 Israeli hostages were still due to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire, eight of whom Israel says are dead. The next release was due on Saturday.
Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners have been freed by Israel in exchange for the hostages released so far People gathered in Tel Aviv Monday night to mark the 24th birthday of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel, and called for all those remaining in Gaza to be freed.
Alon was taken hostage from the Nova festival. Today marks his second birthday in captivity.
The Israeli prime minister will now hold an assessment with the cabinet Monday , rather than Tuesday, after Hamas’s decision to delay the release of hostages, the report says.
Former Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Hamas’ announcement should have “one real-life response: a massive fire attack on Gaza, from the air and land”.
The far-right former security minister resigned from the Israeli government in January, in protest at the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Ben-Gvir also writes on X there should be a halt to humanitarian aid reaching the Gaza Strip, including electricity, fuel and water.
Meanwhile, confusion, alongside some elation, reigns in Israel’s public and political class that remains unclear as to what United States President Donald Trump’s comments about Gaza really mean.
For the extreme right and ultra-Orthodox factions of Israeli politics, the idea makes sense – that the population of Gaza be displaced to make way for the US to oversee some kind of reconstruction that they assume would ultimately be for the people of Israel.
“Trump went much further than anyone expected,” says Mitchell Barak, an Israeli pollster and former political aide to senior Israeli figures, including Benjamin Netanyahu.
By Agencies
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