Hamas says to delay next Israeli hostage release ‘until further notice’

The announcement by Hamas has been met by fury from Israel and means the fragile ceasefire in Gaza is now on the brink of collapse.

Palestinian militant group Hamas announced on Monday it would indefinitely postpone the next hostage-prisoner exchange under a fragile truce agreement with Israel, accusing it of failing to comply with its terms.

“The release of the prisoners (Israeli hostages), which was scheduled for next Saturday, February 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, pending the occupation’s compliance and retroactive fulfilment of the past weeks’ obligations,” Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.

“We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation adheres to them,” he added.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Hamas announcement was a “complete violation” of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

“Hamas’ announcement to stop releasing Israeli hostages is a complete violation of the ceasefire agreement and the deal to release the hostages.

“I have instructed the IDF (military) to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza,” Mr Katz said in a statement.

Hamas fighters escort Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi on a stage before handing him over to a Red Cross team in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on February 8, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP).

Under the terms of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, the first phase of which came into effect on January 19, 33 Israeli hostages were to be released in exchange for around 1900 prisoners, most of them Palestinian, being held in Israeli jails.

On Saturday they completed their fifth hostage-prisoner exchange, with three Israeli hostages and 183 Palestinian prisoners released.

People walk along a flooded street by a heavily-damaged building in the north of Gaza City on February 10, 2025 amid the current ceasefire deal in the war between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by BASHAR TALEB / AFP)

With their return, 73 out of 251 hostages taken during the attack now remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

The statement said Hamas had “closely monitored the enemy’s violations and failure to abide by the terms of the agreement over the past three weeks”.

“These include delaying the return of displaced people to northern Gaza, targeting them with shelling and gunfire across various areas of the (Gaza) Strip, and failing to allow the entry of humanitarian aid in all its forms as agreed upon,” it added, asserting Hamas had “fulfilled all its obligations”.

Originally published as Hamas says to delay next Israeli hostage release ‘until further notice’