JERUSALEM — A Hamas spokesperson said Monday the group will delay the next planned release of hostages in the Gaza Strip after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.
The announcement was the first major crisis for the fragile ceasefire. It came at a sensitive time, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under heavy pressure to bring home hostages after last Saturday’s release, in which three Israelis came home emaciated after 16 months in Hamas captivity.
Also on Monday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ended a controversial system that paid stipends to the families of Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted in deadly attacks on Israel. The step is aimed at improving relations with the new administration of President Donald Trump. The U.S., along with Israel, has said the so-called “martyrs fund” rewarded violence against Israel.
Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas has committed to releasing 33 hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange, scheduled for Saturday, called for three more Israeli hostages to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Hamas’ plan do delay the next release of hostages was “a complete violation” of the ceasefire agreement and that he instructed the Israeli military to be on the highest level of alert. Netanyahu did not immediately comment.
Obeida said Israel has continued to obstruct key provisions of the deal, specifically regarding humanitarian aid.
“The resistance leadership has closely monitored the enemy’s violations and its failure to uphold the terms of the agreement,” Obeida said. He said Israel had violated the terms of the ceasefire by not allowing Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, carrying out strikes across the Gaza Strip, and failing to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid.
The Hostages and Missing Family Forum, which represents many of the hostage families, called on mediating countries to restore the existing deal.
“Recent evidence from those released, as well as the shocking conditions of the hostages released last Saturday, leaves no room for doubt — time is of the essence, and all hostages must be urgently rescued from this horrific situation,” the Forum said.
Under the new system announced by Abbas, the Palestinian president, prisoners’ families will still be eligible for government assistance, but only depending on their financial needs. Previously, payments were determined based on the amount of time a prisoner had spent in prison.
The system will also be transferred from the Palestinian government to an outside foundation.
There was no immediate reaction from the U.S. or Israel.
During Trump’s first term, the U.S. halted assistance to the Palestinian Authority because of the martyr’s fund, while Israel has withheld hundreds of millions of dollars of tax transfers to the cash-strapped authority because of the policy.
A senior Palestinian official said the Palestinians have informed the Trump administration of the decision and hope the U.S. legislation cutting assistance, known as the Taylor Force Act, will be rescinded and that Israel will unfreeze the transfers. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing internal deliberations.
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