After a four-day cease-fire that began on Friday morning, followed by the release of thirteen Israeli civilians and eleven foreign nationals, a second batch of Gaza hostage releases was delayed on Saturday due to a dispute over the terms of a truce agreement, according to Qatari government officials.
Per reporting from Politico, “Hamas’ armed wing said it would not release the second round of hostages until Israel held up its side of the deal: allowing aid trucks to enter the besieged northern Gaza region.” Following this hitch, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “held an assessment of the situation to verify that the second phase is proceeding as planned” and Israel maintains that the agreement was not violated.
“After a delay, obstacles to release of prisoners were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides, and 39 Palestinian civilians will be released tonight, while 13 Israeli hostages will leave Gaza in addition to 4 foreigners,” Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Dr. Majid bin Mohammed Al Ansari wrote in a message posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday afternoon.
Kelly McClure
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