Shortly after, Hamas said it was keen that the hostage-ceasefire deal would not break down.
By AMICHAI STEIN, JERUSALEM POST STAFFFEBRUARY 13, 2025 02:53Updated: FEBRUARY 13, 2025 10:27
Israel is optimistic that the hostage deal can be continued and that the next release of hostages can be achieved on Saturday, a source with knowledge told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
Shortly after, Hamas said it was keen that the hostage-ceasefire deal would not break down, according to Reuters.
Earlier on Thursday, the Saudi news outlet Asharq reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that Hamas is ready to commit to the continuation of the hostage deal and the sixth hostage release on Saturday.
The terror group “confirmed to Egyptian officials its commitment to the agreement” and the release of hostages on Saturday, the source was cited as saying.
The report claimed that Hamas conditioned this step in exchange for Israel “bringing in [to the Gaza Strip] caravans, tents, fuel, heavy equipment, medicines, hospital renovation materials.”
On Wednesday, Egyptian sources told UK-based Qatari news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Hamas had reached an agreement with the Egyptian ceasefire mediators to resume the hostage release deal in its original form in exchange for caravans and fuel.
According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the supplies were scheduled to enter Gaza on Thursday.
Illustrative image of Hamas terrorists. (credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90, Canva, REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM)
Hamas says it will not release ‘all’ hostages on Saturday
On Wednesday evening, senior Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri spoke to Al Jazeera that Hamas was “committed” to implementing the previously agreed schedule of the hostage deal and that they would not release “all” Israeli hostages on Saturday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that if Hamas does not release the Israeli hostages by Saturday, all hell will break loose.
James Genn contributed to this report.
Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-841925.
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