Hamas announced that it would not release the detainees until Israel stops obstructing the agreement, returns to its commitments.
A delegation from the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, led by Khalil al-Hayya, has begun meetings in Cairo with Egyptian officials to follow up on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Israeli media hinted at a potential breakthrough in the negotiations.
The Hamas delegation’s visit to Egypt comes after the military spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, announced the suspension of the handover of Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip scheduled for next Saturday, pending Israel’s commitment to the humanitarian protocol within the ceasefire agreement.
In statements to Al Jazeera, Hamas spokesperson in Gaza Hazem Qassem said that the movement emphasized the necessity of the occupation’s adherence to its commitments and rejected any selectivity in allowing the entry of aid and relief materials needed by the population in Gaza, especially basic supplies such as fuel and tents, as well as heavy equipment required for recovering the bodies of victims and clearing rubble.
The Hamas spokesperson in Gaza added that this visit is part of the efforts by mediators in Egypt and Qatar to contain the crisis surrounding the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, after Israel threatened to resume fighting if Hamas does not release the agreed-upon detainees by next Saturday.
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Breakthrough in Negotiations
While no official breakthrough has been announced in the ongoing negotiations to resolve the issues that arose after the resistance postponed the handover of Israeli prisoners, Israeli media indicated progress in the negotiation process.
The Israeli channel KAN quoted sources involved in the negotiations as saying that three Israelis are expected to be released next Saturday, as agreed. It confirmed that the release of nine prisoners from the first phase, or the release of all prisoners, is not on the agenda.
In what could be a positive development in the negotiations, these sources—according to Kan—stated that the aid being withheld by Israel is expected to reach northern Gaza.
Additionally, the website Axios reported, citing a high-level Israeli official, that Israel sent a message to Hamas through mediators today, stating that if Hamas adheres to the agreement and releases three prisoners on Saturday, Israel will also continue to implement the agreement on its part.
Channel 12 reported that Israel is considering what it described as Hamas’s request to expand the list of prisoners scheduled for release in the first phase of the deal, noting that there is new evidence proving that the condition of prisoners not included in the list is very poor, with some being sick or injured.
In the same context, Israeli Channel 13 reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to discuss the second phase of the deal in the cabinet, considering it a hypothetical issue for now. It also quoted Israeli officials as saying that recent American and Israeli statements have significantly jeopardized the continuation of the deal.
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Threatened Agreement
The ceasefire has appeared threatened in recent days, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned yesterday, Tuesday, that his army would resume the war if Hamas does not release the prisoners by Saturday.
In a statement, he said, “If Hamas does not return our detainees by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will end, and the army will resume intensive bombing until Hamas is decisively defeated.”
His threat echoed that of US President Donald Trump, who vowed to open the “gates of hell” if Hamas does not release “all” Israeli prisoners by Saturday. Israeli officials said that ministers in the government supported Trump’s threat.
Hamas announced on Monday that it would not release the detainees until Israel stops obstructing the agreement, returns to its commitments, and allows the entry of humanitarian aid.
The threat to cancel the ceasefire, which was supposed to last for 42 days as the basis of the agreement, led thousands of Israeli protesters to take to the streets this week, demanding that the government continue implementing the agreement to return the remaining prisoners.
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Israeli Violations
On Wednesday, Salama Marouf, head of the media office in Gaza, stated that “more than 270 new crimes of violations and breaches committed by the Zionist occupation army have been recorded since the ceasefire came into effect.”
He added that the most prominent breaches include “shooting at civilians, killing 93 martyrs, injuring dozens, and failing to adhere to the humanitarian protocol.”
In the same context, Agency France-Presse (AFP) reported today, Wednesday, citing a source close to Hamas who requested anonymity, that “things remain difficult and are becoming more complicated, amid continued Israeli obstruction… Israel’s failure to commit to starting negotiations for the second phase confirms the occupation’s insistence on obstruction to sabotage the ceasefire agreement and resume aggression, as there is nothing deterring the occupation.”
After months of stalemate, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States succeeded in mediating a ceasefire agreement that came into effect on January 19. Hamas released 16 Israeli detainees in five exchange operations, while Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The sixth exchange was scheduled for next Saturday.
Arab Anger
These developments come amid widespread anger in the Arab world sparked by Trump’s unexpected announcement that the United States would take control of Gaza, relocate more than two million Palestinians living in the Strip, and develop it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Senior Arab officials warn that Trump’s plan—which has been met with international condemnation—could threaten the fragile ceasefire in the Strip and exacerbate regional instability.
During the World Government Summit in Dubai, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned that Trump’s pressure to proceed with his plan would lead the Middle East into a new cycle of crises, with severe repercussions for peace and stability.
Aboul Gheit said, “If President Trump continues with this approach of pressuring the Gazans, the Arab world, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and all these influential forces in the region, I imagine that, instead of resolving the Palestinian issue justly based on the two-state solution, it will lead the Middle East into a new round of severe conflict between Arabs and Israel.”
Jassim Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, urged Trump to remember the strong relations between the region and Washington, adding, “There are clear constants regarding the Palestinian issue… There is a deal that the Arab world will not accept.”
Egypt is set to host an emergency Arab summit on February 27 to discuss the “dangerous” developments related to the Palestinians.
Aboul Gheit noted that the Arab Peace Initiative, launched in 2002, will be reintroduced. The initiative offered Arab countries’ normalization of relations with Israel in exchange for an agreement to establish a Palestinian state and Israel’s complete withdrawal from the territories occupied in 1967.
(Al-Jazeera, PC)
