The Hamas terrorist group is reportedly leaning towards agreeing to release the next set of three hostages on Shabbos, despite having previously announced the cancellation of the planned release earlier this week, according to Kan News.
Earlier in the day, Hamas stated that it would not respond to any threats and insisted that Israel must fulfill the terms of the first phase of the agreement, particularly those concerning humanitarian issues and the return of residents from the northern Gaza Strip to their homes.
In response to Hamas’ announcement, the IDF is making preparations to resume military operations in Gaza. Over the past two days, additional forces, including reserve units, have been deployed to the Gaza Envelope area. An IDF spokesperson confirmed that the reinforcement is meant to address various potential scenarios.
Hamas issued an official statement on Tuesday night regarding Israel’s ultimatum, which stated that Hamas would either release the hostages on Saturday, as agreed, or face the resumption of fighting.
In its statement, Hamas reiterated that it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement, but emphasized that this commitment is contingent upon Israel’s actions, specifically “as long as the occupation is committed to it.”
The terror group also accused Israel of failing to meet its obligations, blaming Israel for the “delays and complications” in the deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu convened a Cabinet meeting after Hamas violated the agreement and declared that additional hostages would not be released on Shabbos.
{Matzav.com}
