Hamas said on Monday (Feb 10) that it would indefinitely delay the next scheduled exchange of hostages and prisoners under the current ceasefire agreement with Israel. The Palestinian militant group accused Israel of failing to uphold its commitments.

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Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said on Monday, "The release of the prisoners (Israeli hostages), which was scheduled for next Saturday, February 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, pending the occupation's compliance and retroactive fulfilment of the past weeks' obligations."

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He further added, "We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation adheres to them."

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Israel slams 'blatant violation of the ceasefire'

In response, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz condemned Hamas’s decision, calling it a "blatant violation of the ceasefire."

“I instructed the IDF to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza and to protect the [border] communities. We will not return to the reality of October 7,” he said.

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The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas came into effect on 19 January 2025. Under its first phase, 33 Israeli hostages were set to be freed in exchange for approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention.

As of Saturday, both parties had completed their fifth round of exchanges, which saw the release of three Israeli hostages alongside 183 Palestinian prisoners.

(With inputs from agencies)