Hamas says three captives to be released amid ceasefire deal collapse fears

Hamas has stated its commitment to releasing captives held in Gaza according to the timeline stipulated in the ceasefire agreement. This comes after concerns arose that the ceasefire might not hold due to alleged Israeli violations of the agreement.

In a statement released on Thursday, Hamas said it would "affirm its continuation in implementing the agreement as it was signed, including the exchange of prisoners according to the agreed-upon schedule." Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanoua also confirmed to Anadolu Agency that the group would release captives on Saturday if Israel adhered to the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

Al-Qanoua pointed out that "(the Israeli) occupation has violated the agreement multiple times, whether by preventing the return of displaced persons or preventing humanitarian aid from entering." He emphasized that "if Israel does not adhere to the terms of the agreement, the prisoner exchange process will not proceed." AFP quoted a Palestinian source as saying that mediators had received "commitments... from the Israeli side to implement a humanitarian agreement starting this morning" to allow construction equipment and temporary housing to enter the damaged areas.

However, Israel later indicated that these supplies would not be allowed to pass through the crossing points. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman, Omer Dostri, wrote on X: "No caravans or heavy equipment entered the Gaza Strip, and there was no coordination for this." He added: "No goods are allowed to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing." Hamas had previously accused Israel of obstructing the delivery of heavy machinery needed to clear the vast amounts of rubble in the area.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned this week that "hell" would descend if Hamas failed to release "all" remaining captives by noon on Saturday (10:00 GMT). If fighting resumes, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated: "The new Gaza war... will not end until Hamas is defeated and all the hostages are released." He added: "This will also allow U.S. President Trump's vision for Gaza to be realized." The Gaza ceasefire agreement, currently in its first phase, has seen Israeli captives released in batches in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.