Hamas says to conduct captive-prisoner exchange as planned if Israel honors commitments

Gaza  (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says will proceed with the sixth phase of captives-prisoner exchange on Saturday, contingent upon “Israel honoring its commitments.”

Palestinian sources close to the negotiations said on Thursday that significant progress has been made in maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, facilitating the planned captive-prisoner exchange.

“Hamas has confirmed to Egyptian officials its commitment… to conducting the sixth exchange of prisoners on time, on Saturday, as soon as Israel honors its commitment,” a source said.

Meanwhile, mediators have secured a commitment from the Israeli regime to implement a humanitarian protocol starting on Thursday morning, another source said.

Hamas has sent a delegation led by its top negotiator and Gaza chief, Khalil al-Hayya, to Cairo for discussions with Egyptian officials to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, the group said in a statement.

The statement added that recent meetings have centered on ensuring the full implementation of the agreement’s terms, particularly the provision of shelters, the prompt delivery of prefabricated homes, tents, heavy machinery, medical supplies, fuel, and the ongoing flow of humanitarian assistance, along with all other specified provisions.

Hamas earlier warned that the release of Israeli captives could be delayed due to violations of the ceasefire by the Israeli military, which has engaged in deadly shootings, blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid and restricting Palestinian movement to northern Gaza.

The truce that came into effect on January 19 has largely halted more than 15 months of genocide and seen Israeli captives released in batches in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

But the deal has come under increasing strain with Hamas blaming Israel for failing to meet its commitments under the agreement, including on aid, and citing the deaths of three Gazans at the weekend in fresh attacks.

Israel still restricting vital aid to Gaza Strip after 801 trucks enter: UN

Israel is still severely limiting vital humanitarian aid deliveries to the blockaded Gaza Strip, air organizations say.

The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a statement on Wednesday said 801 aid trucks had entered the Palestinian territory earlier in the day “through interactions with the Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire deal.”

Despite this, OCHA cautioned that access to the war-torn region remains severely limited, with stringent restrictions on essential supplies, including fuel and medical equipment.

This comes as the Israeli regime has threatened to initiate a “new” war against Hamas, echoing US President Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip unless all Israeli captives are released by Saturday.

The warning came shortly after Hamas declared it would not bow down to US and Israeli threats regarding the captives’ release under the fragile truce.

Moreover, the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, warned Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel is responsible for the fate of captives held by the resistance in the Gaza Strip, adding that the resistance “will adhere to the ceasefire agreement in all its details as long as the enemy remains committed to it.”