Hamas says it will release hostages as planned on Saturday
LONDON -- Hamas said in a statement Thursday it would release the next group of hostages as planned in accordance with its ceasefire agreement with Israel, adding that Egyptian and Qatari mediators had confirmed they will work to "remove obstacles and close gaps."
The next hostage-prisoner exchange is set to take place on Saturday, as previously agreed in the current ceasefire deal.
Hamas said it has talked with Egypt and Qatari officials in Cairo who "would follow up on all of this to remove obstacles and close gaps."
"Accordingly, Hamas confirms its continued position to implement the agreement in accordance with what was signed, including the exchange of prisoners according to the specified timetable," Hamas said in the statement.
Israeli officials have not publicly responded to Hamas' comments.
Three Israeli hostages were expected to be released this Saturday as a part of the ceasefire deal.
Hamas initially said earlier this week that the exchange would be postponed, claiming that Israel was delaying the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, targeting them with gunfire and were slowing down aid.
In a statement, Hamas said the postponement was intended as a "warning message" to Israel, which it said had repeatedly violated the terms of the January ceasefire deal.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that if Hamas did not return Israeli hostages by Saturday afternoon, "the ceasefire will be terminated" and warned that the Israel Defense Forces "will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated."
Netanyahu also demanded all nine living Israeli hostages who were expected to be released during phase one of the ceasefire deal now be released in the next few days, an Israeli official confirmed to ABC News.
Amid mediation efforts this week on implementing the ceasefire agreement, a Hamas spokesperson said they were committed to "implementing the agreement as it is" and would not release all the hostages on Saturday.
Netanyahu's statement came after President Donald Trump warned that "all hell is going to break out" unless Hamas releases all remaining hostages from Gaza by Saturday, following the group's announcement on Monday that it would delay the latest planned release.
