Hamas postpones upcoming hostage release, risking ceasefire collapse

Hamas announced Monday it will hold back releasing hostages at the end of the week until further notice, according to a statement by the group reported by multiple media outlets.

Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Israel and others, accused Israel of violating the terms of the agreement. The suspension of the hostage releases risks unraveling a fragile ceasefire that went into effect on Jan. 19.

Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s military wing the Qassam Brigades, reportedly posted on the social media site X that hostage releases will resume when Israel “commits to and compensates for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively.”

He detailed alleged Israeli violations as “delaying the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Strip, and not allowing the entry of relief supplies in all their forms according to what was agreed upon.”

Israel reportedly described the postponement as a “complete violation of the ceasefire” and called on the Israeli military to prepare for “any possible scenario” in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly is holding security consultations and will convene the security cabinet on Tuesday morning.

Hamas negotiators are also postponing talks with mediators, Egyptian security officials told Reuters.

Hamas said that U.S. guarantees for the ceasefire were no longer in place because of remarks by President Trump calling for the permanent relocation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Mediators called for a clear indication of Washington’s commitment to the ceasefire talks, which are expected to transition to a second phase with discussions about ending the war.

Trump has called for the U.S. to take ownership of the Gaza Strip and said about 1.9 million Palestinian-Gazan’s should be permanently resettled.

“No, they wouldn’t” have the right to return, Trump told Fox News on Sunday.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a grassroots initiative advocating for the hostages' release, urgently requested mediating countries — the U.S., Qatar and Egypt — to restore and implement the existing deal effectively.

We stand with the Israeli government and encourage maintaining the conditions that will ensure the successful continuation of the agreement, leading to the safe return of our 76 brothers and sisters," the group said in a statement.

"Recent evidence from those released, as well as the shocking conditions of the hostages released last Saturday, leaves no room for doubt - time is of the essence, and all hostages must be urgently rescued from this horrific situation."

Hamas released three male Israelis on Saturday as part of the ceasefire and hostage release deal, but their appearances — gaunt and frail — raised alarm about the condition of the remaining hostages. Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages total as part of a first phase of the deal, and the remaining hostages released as part of a second phase.