By Ken Afor
The Palestinian Hamas group has threatened to postpone the planned second phase of captive releases on Saturday until Israel fulfills its pledge to permit access to supply convoys in northern Gaza.
The al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas declared that if Israel does not comply with the designated conditions for the release of Palestinian detainees, the release of the hostages will be postponed.
No immediate Israeli response came after the statement was released. Previously, an Israeli military spokesperson informed France’s BFM television station that, upon the absence of any sudden changes, 13 Israeli hostages were expected to be liberated.
He declared that 39 Palestinian prisoners would be released in exchange.
A four-day prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas, which was facilitated by Qatar, is outlined in the ceasefire agreement.
This agreement will involve the exchange of 50 hostages in return for 150 Palestinian inmates, some of whom have been incarcerated for possessing or using weapons, or have been convicted of violent offenses.
On Friday, an initial exchange took place where 13 Israeli women and children were freed, totalling 240 hostages originally seized by Hamas on a lethal rampage in southern Israel on October 7. On the other side, 24 Palestinian women and 15 minors were released from Israeli prisons.
On Saturday, Egypt’s announcement that it received ‘positive signals’ from the involved parties about possibly expanding the agreement allowing aid supplies to pass through the Rafah border crossing into Gaza was quickly marred by a setback.
Rashwan, the head of Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS), stated in a declaration that Cairo is engaging in intensive negotiations with all involved parties in the attempt to come to a consensus that would result in “the release of more detainees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.”
Israel proposed extending the ceasefire if Hamas releases at least 10 hostages per day; reportedly, up to a 100 hostages could be freed.
Once the ceasefire concludes, Israel and Hamas have declared that hostilities will recommence, yet on Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden suggested that there was a feasible possibility of prolonging the ceasefire.
