A fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas teetered on the brink of failure Saturday as the terror group held back on its promise to free a second group of 13 Israeli hostages.
The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was rescued from the brink of failure Saturday as the terror group agreed to free a second group of 13 Israeli hostages and seven foreign nationals after hours of agonizing delay.
Hamas confirmed that the deal was moving ahead after initially claiming that Israel reneged on the terms of the four-day pause in hostilities.
An Israeli official said his government was “cautiously optimistic” that the deal could go down as promised.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had gathered for emergency talks with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Minister Benny Gantz, and security chiefs about Hamas’ delay of the planned release of a second wave of Israeli hostages, Haaretz reported.
The terror group said it was stalling due to Israel’s “non-compliance” with the terms of the cease-fire deal, claiming that the number of aid trucks that reached northern Gaza on Saturday was only half of what was promised – a claim that Israel dismissed.
The excruciating negotiations came on the second day of a four-day cease-fire between the terror group and the Israeli government, and stalled the release of the 39 Palestinian prisoners set to have been given in exchange for 13 hostages abducted in Hamas’ vicious raid on Oct. 7.
“This is manipulation by [Hamas leader] Yahya Sinwar,” former hostage negotiator Yaron Blum told the Times of Israel.
