Is the ceasefire in Gaza on the verge of breakdown?
Exactly three weeks into a fragile and long-awaited ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the deal may be teetering on the edge of collapse.
Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, announced on Monday that the sixth Israeli captive release scheduled for Saturday has been cancelled “until further notice”. Hamas added that the decision was taken five days before the scheduled exchange, "allowing mediators ample time to pressure the [Israeli] occupation towards fulfilling its obligations", according to a statement from the group.
Obeida said Israel has failed to abide by the terms of the deal and has delayed the return of forcibly displaced Palestinians back to their homes in northern Gaza, targeted them with “shelling and gunfire”, and obstructed aid supplies from entering Gaza as agreed.
Israel committed to bringing in 60,000 mobile homes for those in tents, which are unfit for winter weather in Gaza. None have been delivered so far. There are also shortfalls in food and fuel deliveries.
The Israeli captives will not be released “until the occupation commits to and compensates for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively”, the statement said.
Obeida said "the door remains open" for the prisoner exchange, and Hamas will remain committed to the deal as long as Israel holds up its end.
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