Hamas postpones Feb. 15 prisoner swap until further notice
Hamas fighters secure an area before handing over two Israeli hostages to a Red Cross team in Khan Yunis on February 1, 2025 (AFP Photo)
Hamas announced that the prisoner swap scheduled for Saturday (Feb. 15) has been postponed until further notice.
In a statement, Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, explained that the delay was due to multiple violations of the ceasefire by the Israeli side.
The enemy has obstructed the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and repeatedly violated the ceasefire. Therefore, the prisoner swap scheduled for Saturday has been delayed until further notice
Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades
A dispute has arisen between Hamas and Israel regarding the ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement in Gaza. The originally planned swap for February 15 has now been postponed until a later announcement.
Abu Ubaida further remarked that Hamas had been monitoring the violations by Israel for the past three weeks. He also condemned the Israeli actions of preventing the return of displaced people to northern Gaza and attacking them with artillery and gunfire.
We have decided to delay the prisoner swap in light of these violations. If the occupying forces adhere to the terms of the agreement, we will resume our commitment to it
Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades
The blockade on humanitarian aid has been another major point of contention, with Hamas confirming that the resistance has done everything possible to facilitate the delivery of aid, but the Israeli side has blocked its entry.
In December, Qatar, acting as a mediator, announced that a ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement had been reached between Israel and Hamas. The agreement came into effect on January 19, at 12:15 PM local time.
The agreement is structured in three phases, with the first phase releasing 33 Israeli prisoners and over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners within the first 42 days. Hamas has also indicated that talks for the second phase of the ceasefire and prisoner swap are already underway.
