Hamas says ceasefire deal is still on as negotiations continue
Israel has not confirmed that its dispute with Hamas was resolved
Israelis protest for the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, outside the prime minister’s official residence in Jerusalem, Sept. 1, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
(JTA) — Hamas said that it will release three more Israeli hostages on Saturday, a sign that the ceasefire in Gaza may hold despite a crisis earlier this week.
Israel has not confirmed that its dispute with Hamas was resolved. But negotiations are ongoing, signaling that both sides may be retreating from demands that seemed to imperil the truce just a few days ago.
The Hamas statement said the group would “carry out the deal at the agreed-upon time,” according to Israeli reports.
Earlier this week, Hamas announced it was delaying further releases of hostages — including the three meant to be released on Saturday — claiming that Israel had broken the terms of the ceasefire. In response, President Donald Trump demanded that Hamas release all remaining 76 hostages by Saturday at noon. Israel then endorsed that demand — saying it would return to fighting in Gaza if all hostages weren’t released by Saturday.
The sparring had come after Trump said last week that the United States would completely depopulate Gaza, permanently resettle its population elsewhere and then take over the territory. It also came after Hamas released three hostages last Saturday in emaciated condition, sparking outrage in Israel.
The dramatic proposal came as Israel and Hamas were negotiating a potential extension of the ceasefire. Now, the sides are holding talks over whether the ceasefire’s initial six-week stage, which is supposed to last until early March, will continue as planned.
Hamas has said the talks are focusing on the entry of materials into Gaza, including trailers and heavy equipment, a claim Israel called “fake news,” adding that such materials were not entering the strip.
If the original terms of the ceasefire do hold, Hamas would release three men on Saturday whom it has yet to identify. Seventeen more hostages are due to be released in the remainder of the deal’s first stage, eight of whom are confirmed to be dead.
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