The terrorist movement Hamas has reaffirmed its commitment to the Truce agreement in Gaza, provided that Israel honors its part of the agreement. This comes as mediators are pushing for the continuation of the agreement’s implementation. A spokesman for Hamas, Abdel Latif al Qanu, stated that “We are willing to implement (the agreement) and force the occupation (Israel) to fully comply.” He also added that mediators are pressing for the resumption of the hostage exchange process, which is set to take place on Saturday.
Mediation and Pressures
Israel has threatened to launch a “new war” in the Gaza Strip if Hamas does not release hostages by Saturday, in line with the idea proposed by US President Donald Trump to relocate the population of the Palestinian territory. This threat was made by Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, just before Hamas announced that it would not give in to the threats made by the US and Israel.
In an effort to salvage the truce, which has been in effect since January 19, Qatar and Egypt are working as mediators. A Hamas delegation has been sent to Cairo to facilitate the negotiations. The truce agreement, which brought an end to over 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip, stipulates that 33 hostages held in Gaza are to be released by early March in exchange for 1,900 Palestinians detained in Israel. So far, five exchanges have taken place.
However, the truce has been put in jeopardy due to Hamas’s threats not to release a group of hostages on February 15, followed by Israel’s warnings, backed by its American ally, of restarting the war. The situation remains volatile, with the international community watching closely as events unfold.
