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Three days after Hamas unilaterally froze the hostage deal, citing alleged Israeli violations, Palestinian sources told Arabic media Thursday that the terrorist group has reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement and plans to proceed with the next hostage release on Saturday.
However, Hamas has conditioned the release on Israel ensuring the continued flow of humanitarian aid beyond Saturday. Despite this demand, mediators believe the crisis has effectively been resolved.
The reports follow a call from U.S. President Donald Trump for the immediate release of "all hostages," warning that those still in captivity "do not have much time left." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced Trump’s stance, saying Wednesday, "If Hamas fails to uphold the agreement on Saturday, we will return to the situation we were in months ago—Hamas will be destroyed, and Israeli forces will move in to resolve the issue."
Speaking to Fox News and NewsNation, Rubio accused Hamas of violating the agreement. "Hamas is in breach. They are at fault," he said. "The president is fed up with this trickle of hostage releases—he wants people out now. We saw the condition of those freed last week—they were on the brink of death. They looked terrible, and the president has had enough."
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Trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza on Wednesday
(Photo: Abdel Kareem Hana / AP)
Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar cited sources describing Wednesday’s meeting in Cairo between Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad and a Hamas delegation as "positive." The report said agreements were reached to facilitate the deal’s completion, with a focus on humanitarian aid commitments.
According to the sources, Egypt proposed a compromise ensuring partial implementation of the humanitarian aid provisions rather than full compliance. "Everything now depends on Israel’s response to the Egyptian proposal," the report said.
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Families of hostages block highway demanding release of captives in Gaza
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Families of hostages block highway demanding release of captives in Gaza
(Photo: Women's protests for hostages)
A similar report aired on Egypt’s Al Ghad channel overnight, claiming Cairo had bridged gaps between Hamas and Israel, paving the way for the scheduled hostage release on Saturday. The report said Hamas confirmed its commitment to the deal, and an agreement was reached to allow more aid into Gaza, including caravans for displaced residents. Additionally, the number of aid trucks permitted to enter northern Gaza is set to increase.
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Hamas-affiliated Quds Network also reported that the 801 trucks that entered Gaza on Wednesday marked the highest number of aid deliveries since the cease-fire began. According to the report, 231 trucks were directed to northern Gaza, including 139 via the Erez crossing and 92 through Zikim, while the remaining 570 entered through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Under the terms of the agreement, Israel had committed to allowing 600 aid trucks per day into Gaza, meaning Wednesday’s deliveries exceeded that quota by 201 trucks.
Hamas has previously claimed that Israeli delays in allowing shelters, tents and caravans for displaced Palestinians were among the reasons it temporarily halted the hostage deal.
An Egyptian official said Wednesday that the parties were "close to an agreement" and that Israel had committed to increasing the delivery of tents, shelters and heavy equipment into Gaza.