Israel and , Hamas , accused each other of violating the conditions of a peace deal agreed to last quarter, raising fears over the strength of the peace about halfway through the first six-week time.
Hamas , said Monday the group’s future scheduled launch of hostages on Saturday may be postponed until further notice, accusing Israel of delaying the transfer of Gazans to the northeast of the war-ravaged place, opening fire in different parts of the band and denying access of humanitarian aid.
Israeli Defense Minister , Israel Katz , responded that the , Hamas , announcement amounted to a violation of the ceasefire and the country’s military has been placed on high alert. The shekel fell against the , U. S.  , dollar in response to the exchange, trading as much as 0.8 % lower.
Hours later, though,  , Hamas , softened its stance, saying in a statement that it wanted to “grant mediators sufficient time to pressure” Israel into complying so that the next prisoner exchange could go ahead as planned.
The comments on both sides highlight the fragility of the truce, with talks on whether it can be extended beyond early March at an early stage. Still, Israel and , Hamas , have exchanged similar accusations in the past that were ultimately resolved without scuppering the deal.
Israel agreed last month to exchange Palestinian prisoners for hostages taken by , Hamas , during the , October 2023 , attacks that triggered the 16-month war, and five swaps have taken place so far. Other elements of the deal include Israel’s partial withdrawal of troops and an increase in aid.
Hamas , is designated a terrorist organization by the , U. S.  , and many other countries.
” This is a very, very grave announcement”, Israeli Security cabinet minister Ze’ev Elkin told Israel’s Channel 12 TV on Monday, referring to the initial statement by Abu Obaida, a spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing. Israel’s redeployment of forces away from the Netzarim Corridor, a road that splits , Gaza , and isolated the north for much of the war, shows the country’s commitment to the deal, Elkin said.
Hagai Levine, head of the health team at the , Hostages Families Forum , in , Israel, said on Monday that it is vital to get all the remaining hostages out as soon as possible due to their likely condition.
Since the ceasefire took effect on , Jan. 19, 110 Palestinians have been shot and killed by Israeli fire in different parts of the , Gaza Strip, according to local Palestinian reports.  , Hamas , also said a fraction of the agreed number of fuel trucks and tents had been allowed to enter the territory, where much of the 2 million population are displaced, with their homes destroyed.
Israeli Prime Minister , Benjamin Netanyahu , was due to convene a top-level discussion of the proposed phase 2 of the ceasefire on Tuesday. That is seen laying out a path to a permanent end to hostilities, though Israel has said that can’t happen with , Hamas , still in power.
U. S.  , President , Donald Trump , claimed credit for the ceasefire signed just before his inauguration, though last week he added a complexity to discussions on the next phase with a shock suggestion that the , U. S.  , take over , Gaza.
Palestinians would be moved out of the territory during its reconstruction, he said during a visit by Netanyahu to , Washington. The idea has been widely criticized in the , Middle East , and wider world, though Trump doubled down on Monday, saying they wouldn’t have a right to return to , Gaza.
___
© 2025 Bloomberg L. P
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
