The release of the second group of hostages by Hamas that was set to take place on Saturday evening has been delayed, with the terrorist organization claiming Israel has breached the agreement.
“Al-Qassam has decided to suspend the release of the second batch of prisoners, and there are communications to address the violations and end them,” Hamas said in a statement Saturday evening. “The violations committed by the occupation are related to the issue of [aid and fuel] trucks, in addition to gunfire and the ascension of martyrs,” Hamas said.
The reference to gunfire (and possibly terrorist deaths) relates to IDF arrest operations in the terrorist hotbed of Jenin, in Samaria, and subsequent exchanges of gunfire between Israeli forces and the terrorists. According to the Abu Ali Express website, Shamach Abu A-Rabb, a doctor and the son of the acting governor of Jenin, was killed by IDF fire in clashes this morning in the Qabatiya area. Shamach’s brother was injured in the incident.
The terror group also claimed that Israel did not send the agreed-upon number of aid and fuel trucks into Gaza on Saturday. However, 60 aid trucks were seen during the day entering Gaza City and the northern sector of the enclave, as agreed by Israel.
Entry of aid trucks to the north of the #Gaza Strip and Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/HyY9BhPzxa
— AbuAliEnglish (@AbuAliEnglishB1) November 25, 2023
In response, Israel has warned that IDF military operations in Gaza will resume at midnight if the second group of hostages has not been released by that time, as was agreed upon in the temporary ceasefire deal brokered by Qatar and Egypt. Israel also said that Hamas is embarrassing Qatar and Egypt mediators with their move.
Nir Dvori of Israel’s Channel 12 News reports that Qatar threatened Hamas in response and told Hamas they’ll regret it if they don’t stop playing games.
On Friday, 200 trucks with humanitarian aid entered Gaza via the Rafah Crossing and were delivered to international aid organizations working in the southern Gaza Strip,” the IDF said. “The continued flow of humanitarian aid was approved by the government of Israel as part of the framework for the release of the hostages agreed with the United States and mediated by Qatar and Egypt.”
