Hamas has failed to provide Israel with a list detailing the status of the remaining 26 hostages slated to be released during the first phase of the ceasefire, in a second breach of the agreement within 24 hours, local media reported on Sunday.
According to the terms of the deal, Hamas was to inform Jerusalem by Saturday which of the remaining hostages, all of whom fall into the humanitarian category — female, children, elderly and sick — are alive.
The terrorist group also breached the agreement by releasing four female Israel Defence Forces soldiers on Saturday while keeping Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud in captivity. Under the terms of the deal, Hamas was obliged to release civilian women and children hostages before freeing the female troops.
Despite the breach, Israel has maintained the agreed ratio of Palestinian terrorists to be released from its jails. The initial terms stipulated that more terrorists would be freed in exchange for soldiers than for civilians.
However, in response to Hamas's breaches, Jerusalem has suspended the return northward of Palestinian non-combatants.
"As per the agreement, Israel will not allow the passage of Gazans to the north of the Strip until the release of the civilian Arbel Yehud, who was supposed to be released today, is arranged," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement released on Saturday, hours after IDF hostages Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levy returned to Israel.
Earlier this week, the Israel Defence Forces reiterated that Palestinians would be allowed to return northwards if Hamas adhered to the ceasefire.
Hamas has claimed that Yehud is alive and well and would be freed as part of the next batch of captives on February 1. It has tried to shift responsibility for the failure to free Yehud to Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Salafist group aligned with it that is reportedly holding her.
Overnight, Hamas urged thousands of Arabs to return to the northern Strip in an attempt to put pressure on Israel, leading IDF soldiers to fire warning shots in an attempt to repel the crowd, local media reported.
The military stressed in a statement on Saturday night that troops were instructed to only fire warning shots, calling on Palestinians to "obey IDF instructions and not approach the forces deployed in the area."
According to Israeli estimates, there are 90 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, including 87 abducted during the October 7 attacks.
Of the 251 hostages taken on Oct. 7, 164 have been returned or rescued, and Hamas is believed to be holding 35 bodies, 34 of them taken on October 7, and that of Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was kidnapped by the terror group in 2014.
Hamas breached the terms of the hostage release deal within 24 hours of its January 19 implementation by failing to provide Israel with the names of the three female captives that were slated for release the next day.
