According to the Israeli press, Israel has sent a message to Hamas that the ceasefire agreement will continue if Hamas releases three more hostages on Saturday. The ceasefire crisis is on the way to being resolved.
A senior Israeli official said that mediators were working intensively to get the ceasefire agreement back on track. Egyptian officials said that talks with Hamas in Cairo were “approaching a turning point.”
According to Walla, Israel, through Egypt and Qatar, sent a message to Hamas that the ceasefire agreement would continue if it released three more hostages on Saturday. This message came after contradictory statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the previous day. Netanyahu had threatened that the ceasefire would end if Hamas did not release the prisoners, but it was not clear whether he meant all Israeli hostages or the three hostages expected to be released this Saturday.
“We are working intensively with mediators to get the agreement back on track,” an Israeli official told Walla.
Earlier this week, Hamas announced a freeze on prisoner swaps until further notice, citing Israeli violations of the agreement, including the restriction of some aid supplies, such as tents, from entering Gaza.
Signs of progress in ceasefire talks
Qatari daily Al-Araby Al Jadeed, citing Egyptian sources, reported that “things are moving towards a conclusion” following a meeting in Cairo between Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad and a Hamas delegation.
The Hamas delegation is headed by Khalil al-Hayya, deputy head of the political bureau.
Al Araby Al Jadeed reported that initiatives by Qatar and Egypt, as well as US special envoy Steve Witkoff, had resolved some problems.
The sources added that international organizations have been approved to allow fuel and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip, but Israel has not yet given the green light to allow caravans and more tents.
The sources said that if Israel authorized the caravans, Hamas would have time on Friday to announce the names of the three hostages to be released on Saturday.
“The crisis that erupted in the prisoner swap deal appears to be on the way to being resolved after Hamas announced that it was suspending the release of prisoners,” Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
“Hamas is expected to release Israeli prisoners,” the report said, adding that three Israeli prisoners were expected to be released on Saturday (16 February).
The newspaper quoted an unnamed Israeli official as saying that “Israel and Hamas want the first phase of the agreement to be successful until the end and that Hamas has sent messages that it is ready to continue the agreement.”
The Israeli official was quoted as saying that US President Donald Trump’s threat to Hamas that he would open the “gates of hell” if it did not release all prisoners on Saturday “put Israel in a dilemma.”
Israeli Channel 12 television reported that various international organizations are expected to bring fuel and medical equipment aid to the Gaza Strip today.
In the news of Channel 12, it was pointed out that the prisoner exchange agreement could be finalized.
