Hamas delays hostage release, citing alleged violations by Israel
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group, delays the release of another 13 Israeli hostages handed over to the care of the Red Cross. The militants have called on Israel to allow more trucks with food into the northern part of the Gaza Strip, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The publication's sources report that Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working on resolving the issue of the delay in the hostage exchange.
In turn, The Times of Israel informs that Hamas' military wing has announced that it has decided to postpone the release of the second batch of hostages, although shortly before that, an official Hamas representative stated that the release was already underway.
The military wing declares that it is postponing the release of hostages until the occupation begins to adhere to the agreement conditions regarding the entry of trucks with humanitarian aid to the northern part of the Gaza Strip, as well as due to the non-compliance with the agreed standards for the release of prisoners.
However, Israel has allowed 200 trucks into the sector, as required by the agreement, and an Israeli military representative from COGAT in relations with Palestinians previously reported that 50 of these trucks have reached northern Gaza.
At the same time, earlier, a senior Hamas representative, Taher al-Nono, claimed that Israel supposedly did not fulfill the conditions for the release of Palestinian prisoners, whom Hamas insisted to be released in a different order than Israel did.
Israel threatens to resume military actions
According to media reports, an Israeli official is threatening that if the next batch of Israeli hostages is not released from the Gaza Strip by midnight, he will resume military operations.
The official's words were cited in a series of Hebrew media outlets, but there has been no official confirmation.
The second batch of hostages was supposed to be released at 4:00 PM, but the process has not yet begun.
Release of hostages
On November 24, Hamas militants released the first group of hostages, sending them to the checkpoint on the border of the Gaza Strip and Egypt. This became possible after Israel announced a temporary ceasefire.
For more details on Israel's agreements with Hamas and how long the war will continue, read in the article by RBC-Ukraine.
