Hamas says it is postponing next hostage release, claiming Israel has broken terms of deal

Hamas has announced that the next hostage release scheduled for Saturday will be postponed, alleging Israel had failed to abide by the terms of the agreement.

Hamas has said the next hostage release scheduled to take place in Gaza on Saturday will be postponed “until further notice,” accusing Israel of breaking the ceasefire deal. Israel described the postponement as a “complete violation of the ceasefire” and called on the Israeli military to prepare for “any possible scenario” in Gaza. In a post on X, Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, said that the handover of the prisoners “who were scheduled to be released next Saturday … will be postponed until further notice, and until the occupation commits to and compensates for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively.” He added: “We affirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation commits to them.” In a separate statement, Hamas said the move “serves as a warning” to Israel and was meant to pressure it into “fully honoring” the terms of the ceasefire deal. “By issuing this statement five full days ahead of the scheduled prisoner handover, Hamas aims to grant mediators sufficient time to pressure the occupation to fulfill its obligations,” the statement read. “This also leaves the door open for the exchange to proceed as planned, provided the occupation complies.”