By Sabiu Abdullahi
The armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Saturday a delay in the handover of a second group of hostages.
This was part of a truce deal with Israel, contingent on Israel’s adherence to the terms of the agreement.
The issues at the centre of the delay involve the entry of humanitarian aid to the north of the Gaza Strip and the criteria for selecting prisoners for release.
The truce agreement, spanning four days, included the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a three-to-one ratio.
Initially, a Hamas source informed AFP that the handover of 14 hostages to the Red Cross had commenced but later reported a halt in the transfer process.
However, an Israeli official countered, stating that the hostages had not yet been handed over to the Red Cross.
Despite the delay, the Israeli source maintains that Israel has not violated the agreement, alluding to a a different perspective on the situation.
The intricacies of these negotiations continue to unfold against the backdrop of the fragile truce between Israel and the Islamist movement.