Hamas has said it is delaying the release of Israeli hostages indefinitely over “violations” of the ceasefire deal, prompting Israel’s defence minister to put the country’s military on alert with orders to prepare for “any scenario in Gaza”.
Qatar had warned Israeli officials at the weekend that even the first stage of the ceasefire deal was being put in jeopardy by provocative statements from Netanyahu and by his government’s approach to talks on a second stage, Haaretz reported.
The second stage of the ceasefire deal is intended to bring the return of all living hostages and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, under a framework agreed days before Trump’s inauguration in January.
Hamas suspends release of Israeli hostages over ‘violations’ of ceasefire Israeli military on alert as mediators fear a breakdown in three-week-old truce.
The next exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners and detainees had been set for this Saturday and would have been the sixth under the six-week-long first stage of the ceasefire deal.
