DOHA, January 29. /TASS/. The Palestinian Hamas movement may renege on its obligations to release an additional group of hostages on Thursday if Israel continues to obstruct humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the Asharq TV channel reported, citing a source.
"Hamas has informed the mediators that if Israel continues to disrupt the supply of [humanitarian] goods [to Gaza], it will justify the movement not fulfilling its obligations to hand over the hostages on Thursday," the unidentified source said. According to the report, since the ceasefire was announced on January 19, no materials for hospital reconstruction, tents, or heavy equipment have been supplied to Gaza, and the amount of fuel entering the enclave is "very limited."
On Monday night, Adviser to the Prime Minister and Official Representative of the Qatari Foreign Ministry Majid bin Mohammed Al Ansari said that Hamas would release Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud, who was supposed to be freed as part of the previous exchange, along with two others before Friday, January 31. The Palestinian movement also agreed to provide Israel with the list of hostages to be released in the first stage of the ceasefire deal. In turn, Israel agreed to allow Gaza Strip residents to return to the northern part of the enclave beginning the morning of January 27.
On January 25, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would not allow displaced Gaza Strip residents to return to the north of the enclave until the situation with Arbel Yehud was resolved. According to the office, she was supposed to be released on January 25 as part of a previous exchange involving a group of hostages taken by Hamas in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.