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Hamas will free Israeli hostages on time

The group says it is committed to implementing Gaza deal


February 14, 2025 00:00:00


Jordanians and Palestinians gather along the road leading to Amman's Marka Airport to welcome King Abdullah II upon his return on Thursday from Washington where he meet with US President Donald Trump — AFP

CAIRO, Feb 13 (BBC/AFP): Hamas has said it is committed to implementing the Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel and will continue releasing hostages within the agreed time frame.

Following talks in Cairo, the Palestinian armed group said Egyptian and Qatari mediators had confirmed they would "remove obstacles" to the deal.

There was no immediate response from Israel. But Egyptian and Qatari reports said mediators had bridged the gaps between the two sides and both were committed to continue implementation.

On Tuesday, Israel said the ceasefire would end if Hamas did not return hostages this Saturday. Hamas had earlier said it was postponing releases over what it claimed were Israeli violations.

Hamas said Israel was not allowing in the agreed amounts of vital humanitarian aid, including tents and shelters, which Israel denied.

The group's announcement prompted US President Donald Trump to propose Israel cancel the agreement and "let hell break out" unless "all of the hostages" were returned by Saturday.

Palestinian sources close to negotiations on Thursday also reported progress in efforts to salvage the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, with a view to ensuring that a hostage-prisoner exchange goes ahead this weekend as planned.

"There is progress," one source told AFP, adding that mediators had obtained from Israel a "promise... to put in place a humanitarian protocol starting from this morning".

"Hamas has confirmed to Egyptian officials its commitment... to conducting the sixth exchange of prisoners on time, on Saturday, as soon as Israel honours its commitment," another source said.

The first source said that once mediators confirm Israel's final approval, then "prefabricated units, tents, fuel, heavy equipment, medicine, materials for repairing hospitals and everything linked to the humanitarian protocol" can begin entering the territory.

The fragile ceasefire has been strained in recent days after US President Donald Trump warned that "hell" would break loose if Hamas failed to release all the hostages being held in Gaza by Saturday.

Following those remarks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military would resume "intense fighting" in Gaza if Hamas did not return hostages by Saturday noon, without specifying whether he was referring to all the captives.

Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Wednesday that should the war resume, it "will be different in intensity", and "will not end without the defeat of Hamas".


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