Hamas announced on Thursday it has agreed to continue implementing the ceasefire deal following talks with the Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo.
The Palestinian resistance group said will follow through with the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners held in Israel as per the timeline outlined in the agreement.
The talks in the Egyptian capital focused on the terms of the ceasefire deal “especially with regard to securing housing for our people and urgently bringing in prefabricated houses ‘caravans’, tents, heavy equipment, medical supplies, fuel, and the continued flow of relief and everything stipulated in the agreement,” Hamas declared in a statement.
“The discussions were characterized by a positive spirit, and the mediating brothers in Egypt and Qatar confirmed that they would follow up on all of this to remove obstacles and close gaps,” the statement published on Telegram added.
“Accordingly, Hamas confirms its continued position to implement the agreement in accordance with what was signed, including the exchange of prisoners according to the specified timetable.”
Temporary shelters and other aid provisions were seen at the Gaza border on Thursday. It follows fears the ceasefire would collapse after Hamas briefly said it would suspend the release of Israeli captives on Saturday if Israel continued to neglect its aid quotas under the deal. pic.twitter.com/ironXmBoZo
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) February 13, 2025
Later on Thursday, Israeli Channel 12 news reported that it is expected that Hamas will release living captives on Saturday if the deal holds.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli media reported that ‘Israel’ has reportedly sent a message to Hamas through mediators Egypt and Qatar that the captive release-ceasefire deal will continue if the group releases three more captives on Saturday.
Hamas had earlier said it was postponing releases over Israeli violations, accusing the Israeli occupation of not allowing in the agreed amounts of vital humanitarian aid, including tents and shelters.
Source: Agencies
