Hamas eventually released a planned second group of hostages from the Gaza Strip late Saturday night, after delaying the transfer for hours in a hold-up that threatened to derail a four-day cease-fire deal with Israel.
The second stage of the hostage-prisoner swap, which freed 13 Israeli and four Thai citizens in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners, had been scheduled to begin 4 p.m. local time Saturday, according to the Times of Israel. The hostage handover was officially underway just as a midnight deadline approached.
If Hamas failed to indicate whether the next group of hostages would be released by then, an Israeli official said the Israel Defense Forces would resume military operations in Gaza, effectively halting the mutual cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The delay occurred because Hamas accused Israel of violating the cease-fire, which the Jewish state has denied.
“On behalf of the IDF, I would like to say that we are fully sticking to the letter of the agreement,” said IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari. “There are some very serious mediators, Egypt and Qatar, are very insistent that it happens.”
The Islamic terrorist group said no more hostages would be released until the Israeli military committed to allowing more aid trucks to enter northern Gaza, Reuters reported. Hamas also had backtracked on Saturday’s release, in part, because Israel had allegedly failed to release the longest-serving Palestinian prisoners first, the terror group claimed.
“The Al-Qassam Brigades decide to delay the release of the second batch of prisoners until the occupation adheres to the terms of the agreement related to the entry of relief trucks into the northern Gaza Strip, and due to the failure to adhere to the agreed-upon standards for releasing prisoners,” Hamas announced via Telegram.
Israel said it had complied with the terms for the release of Palestinian prisoners, arguing it did not violate the truce.
As for humanitarian aid, reports indicated earlier that the delivery to Gaza wasn’t fast enough for Hamas. At least 340 aid trucks have entered the Rafah border crossing from the Egyptian side since Friday, only 65 of which had reached northern Gaza, “which is less than half of what was agreed on,” per Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan. On Saturday, 187 trucks carrying “food, water, relief assistance, medical supplies and medicines” entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said.
The postponed release comes after 24 hostages — composed of 13 Israelis, ten Thais, and one Filipino — and 39 Palestinian prisoners were simultaneously released Friday, marking the beginning of the temporary pause in fighting. The International Committee of the Red Cross is facilitating both sides of the hostage-prisoner release.
At least 50 Israeli women and children were negotiated to be exchanged for at least 150 Palestinian women and minors that are imprisoned in Israel by the end of the four days, provided the deal continues without any escalation in the conflict. As of now, the cease-fire remains in effect.
Prior to the deal being struck, Hamas freed four out of an estimated 240 hostages taken during its October 7 attack on Israel. This is the first official pause in fighting since the invasion.