Israeli media reports announced a breakthrough in the ceasefire agreement and the continuation of prisoner exchanges as scheduled.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that official sources confirmed the ceasefire would continue as planned that after receiving signals that Hamas will remain committed to the deal.
The Israeli Army radio reported that an agreement has been reached to allow the immediate entry of caravans and heavy engineering equipment into Gaza.
Sources stated that the entry of mobile homes and heavy equipment has begun into the Gaza Strip, noting that mediators confirmed their commitment to implementing all terms of the agreement, including the humanitarian protocol, according to Al Jazeera.
Video clips showed trucks loaded with mobile caravans and debris cranes on the Egyptian side of Rafah at the entrance to the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported.
Hamas has indicated several times that Israel has not properly adhered to the agreements made under the humanitarian protocol, in addition to targeting civilians in Gaza and obstructing the return of displaced persons, which led them to postpone the release of prisoners until further notice.
According to media reports, the relief protocol states that aid providers include the UN, international organizations, and non-governmental agencies, and that aid would enter at a rate of 600 trucks daily, along with the entry of civil defense equipment and infrastructure maintenance.
The protocol stipulates the entry of 60,000 caravans and 200,000 tents into Gaza to accommodate the displaced, and added that the aid includes relief materials and humanitarian equipment from governments and international organizations.
Earlier, Hamas confirmed its commitment to the agreement and called for Israel’s full obligation to it.
It also responded to warnings from Israel and US President Donald Trump to “unleash hell” if all prisoners are not handed over by Saturday, warning that the language used was not conductive to the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
Al-Qassam conditions continuation of the agreement
The spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, announced earlier in February that the transfer of Israeli prisoners would be postponed due to Israel’s violations of the ceasefire deal.
Abu Ubaida stated in a statement: “The resistance leadership has observed the violations of the enemy and its non-adherence to the terms of the deal during the past three weeks; including the delay in the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza, targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Strip, and the failure to deliver relief materials in all forms as agreed upon, while the resistance has fulfilled all its obligations.”
He added that the release of prisoners scheduled for release on Saturday, February 15 would be postponed indefinitely, and until Israel fulfills all of its obligations and provides retroactive compensation for the violations it has accrued in the past weeks.
Their commitment to the agreement is conditional upon the occupation’s adherence to its terms.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
