U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to “open the gates of hell” if Israeli hostages held in Gaza are not released.
He stated that he would call for the cancellation of the ceasefire agreement “if all hostages are not returned from Gaza by 12 noon on Saturday.”
Trump also indicated that he might discuss setting Saturday as a final deadline with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, announced on Monday evening that the handover of Israeli prisoners in the upcoming batch has been delayed due to the occupation’s repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Through his Telegram channel, Abu Ubaida stated: “The resistance leadership has been monitoring, over the past three weeks, the enemy’s violations and its failure to abide by the agreement’s terms—delaying the return of displaced individuals to northern Gaza, targeting them with shelling and gunfire across the sector, and not facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid as agreed, while the resistance has fully honored its commitments.”
He continued: “As a result, the release of Zionist captives scheduled for Saturday, February 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, pending the occupation’s adherence to the agreement and retroactive compensation for past violations. We reaffirm our commitment to the agreement as long as the occupation abides by it.”
For its part, Hamas affirmed its commitment to the terms of the agreement, provided the Israeli occupation remains compliant, emphasizing that it has “fulfilled all its obligations with precision and within the specified timelines.”
The movement added in a press statement that “the occupation has failed to adhere to the agreement’s provisions and has committed multiple violations, including delaying the return of displaced individuals to northern Gaza, targeting our people with shelling and gunfire, and killing many of them across the sector.”
It further noted that the occupation’s violations also included “obstructing the entry of essential shelter supplies such as tents and pre-built homes, fuel, and debris removal equipment needed to recover bodies, as well as delaying the entry of medical supplies required for hospitals and the healthcare sector.”
Hamas stressed that it has documented these violations and continuously provided mediators with updates, but the occupation has persisted in its transgressions. It called for strict adherence to the agreement and warned against selective enforcement that prioritizes less urgent matters over more critical humanitarian needs.
The movement underscored that “delaying the release of captives serves as a warning message to the occupation, exerting pressure for precise compliance with the agreement’s terms.” It also noted that this announcement was made five full days before the scheduled handover to give mediators ample time to pressure the occupation into fulfilling its obligations, keeping the door open for the exchange to proceed as planned if the occupation complies.
