Hamas has announced that it will release three more Israeli hostages as planned, paving the way for a potential resolution to the ceasefire dispute in the Gaza Strip. The militant group had threatened to delay the next release of captives due to alleged Israeli violations of the truce, but now says talks with Egyptian officials and Qatar’s prime minister have yielded positive results.
Egypt and Qatar have served as key mediators in brokering the ceasefire, which took effect in January. According to Egypt’s state-run Qahera TV, trucks carrying temporary housing and bulldozers were seen heading towards an Israeli inspection area before crossing into Gaza. This suggests that the Egyptian-Qatari mediation has led to significant progress.
However, doubts remain about the long-term durability of the truce, with Israel saying it will resume fighting Hamas if the hostages are not freed. The US support for Israel’s position has added uncertainty to the situation.
The truce faces a major challenge in the coming weeks, as the first phase is set to conclude at the beginning of March and negotiations over the second phase have yet to take place. The proposal by President Donald Trump to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza has been rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries, but welcomed by Israel’s government.
The situation remains volatile, with threats of “military intervention” if the plan proceeds and calls for a resumption of the war from far-right Israeli allies. The war has resulted in significant human suffering, with over 92 Palestinians killed and more than 800 wounded since the ceasefire took hold.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-02-13-2025-ceasefire-hostages-34526505868eb797266a0aa17f4208e7