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Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Monday announced that he has ordered the army to remain on maximum alert in Gaza and to defend Israeli towns following Hamas’ decision to postpone the release of Israeli hostages.
Katz described Hamas’ decision as a complete breach of the ceasefire agreement and the hostage release deal.
In a statement, he said: “I have instructed the Israeli army to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza.”
His comments followed an announcement by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, declaring that the release of the hostages, initially scheduled for this Saturday, would be postponed until further notice.
According to a spokesperson for the brigades, the decision was made in response to Israel’s “failure to comply” with the ceasefire terms in Gaza.
The Eastern Updates reports that Israel has recovered 16 of the 33 hostages scheduled for release, including five Thai hostages who were freed without prior arrangements.
In return, Israel has also released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences for attacks that resulted in Israeli fatalities.
Accusing Israel of “delaying the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza, targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Strip, and failing to allow the entry of humanitarian aid”, Hamas said it needed assurances from Israel that it would stick to the terms of the agreement.
Israel, in turn, accused Hamas of a “complete violation of the ceasefire agreement” and said it had instructed the Israeli military “to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza and to protect the communities”.
The next scheduled exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners was due to take place on Saturday – and in a follow-up statement, Hamas said the “door remains open” for that to happen.
