- Hamas has postponed the planned hostage release scheduled for Saturday, claiming Israel violated ceasefire terms regarding humanitarian aid and civilian movement.
- Of the 73 remaining hostages in Gaza from the October 7 attack, the IDF has confirmed at least 34 are deceased.
- The situation has created division among Israeli leaders, with some calling for renewed military action while others support maintaining conditions for continued hostage negotiations.
The next round of hostage releases was set for Saturday, Feb. 15 — until Hamas officials claimed Israel violated their end of the ceasefire agreement and said they were indefinitely postponing releasing more hostages.
Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida said Monday that the handover would be “postponed until further notice.”
The terrorist organization claimed Israel violated the ceasefire’s terms of agreement over the past three weeks.
The Hamas claims cite “delaying the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Strip, and not allowing relief supplies in all their forms according to what was agreed upon” as the reasons for the postponement.
Hamas abducted 251 hostages on Oct. 7, 2024, and 73 still remain in Gaza. Of the 73, the Israel Defense Force believes that at least 34 are dead.
Israeli mother pleads for her son’s release
Before Hamas announced they would postpone this week’s release, the mother of Alon Ohel, Idit Ohel, spoke to The Times of Israel, explaining the severity of her son’s injuries.
“He has shrapnel in his eye, he has shrapnel in his shoulder, he has shrapnel in his arm. Alon was bound in chains, this entire time, and he had almost no food — at most one pita a day, over a very, very, very long time, more than a year,” she said, based on information she received from other hostages.
Monday is her son’s 24th birthday.
Ohel was abducted nearly a year and a half ago by Hamas from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7. Recently released hostages Eli Sharabi and Or Levy told Ohel that her son was held with them.
Idit Ohel broke into tears, saying, “I can’t understand it. I don’t think there’s a single mother who could handle her son being hungry, hungry for food, and held in chains for so many days.”
Alon is included in phase 2 of the original ceasefire agreement, which would release the remaining 65 hostages, alive and dead, per The American Jewish Community
This second phase includes primarily younger men, many of whom were Israeli soldiers.
Ohel argued that her son and the other hostages in phase 2 deserve to be released along with those deemed humanitarian releases.
Trump on released hostages: ‘I don’t know how much longer we can take it’
In a recent video released by the White House before Hamas’ announcement, President Donald Trump said recently released hostages Eli Sharabi and Or Levy resembled “Holocaust survivors” after the handover.
“I know we have a deal where we’re supposed to get a dribbling, and keep dribbling in, but they are in really bad shape. They have been treated brutally, horribly ...” Trump said, while riding the presidential jet, Air Force 1.
He continued, “You know, at some point, we’re gonna lose our patience. When I see that scene that I saw today with people coming out of helicopters and airplanes that are emaciated, that look like they haven’t had a meal in a month, no reason for that, and I don’t know how much longer we can take it.”
Alon Ohel’s mother said to The Times of Israel, “Everything you can see that Eli and Or went through, Alon is now experiencing.”
Israeli leaders split on how to react to Hamas’ postponement
A former national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, wrote on X Monday morning, saying Hamas’ hostage release postponement should stoke Israel to end the ceasefire.
“Hamas’ announcement should have one real-life response: a massive fire attack on Gaza, from the air and land, alongside a complete halt to humanitarian aid to the Strip, including electricity, fuel, and water, and including the bombing of aid packages that have already been brought in and are in Hamas’ hands in Gaza. We must return to war and destroy!” Ben Gvir said.
Israel’s current minister of defense, Israel Katz, said the military would stay on high alert. “We will not allow a return to the pre-Oct. 7, 2023, reality,” he said, per Shafaq News.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum said in a statement, “We stand with the Israeli government and encourage maintaining the conditions that will ensure the successful continuation of the agreement, leading to the safe return of our 76 brothers and sisters.”