The Blubber

Hamas has declared its commitment to upholding the Gaza ceasefire agreement with Israel and pledged to continue releasing hostages as planned, raising hopes that a return to full-scale conflict might be avoided.

Following negotiations in Cairo, the Palestinian militant group stated that Egyptian and Qatari mediators had assured them they would "resolve obstacles." Reports from Egyptian and Qatari officials confirmed that significant progress had been made in bridging gaps.

An Israeli government spokesperson did not directly comment on the reports but emphasized that if Hamas failed to release three living hostages on Saturday, the ceasefire would be terminated.

Israel's Prime Minister issued a similar warning on Tuesday, following a delay in scheduled hostage releases. Hamas claimed the delay was due to Israel’s alleged failure to provide agreed-upon humanitarian aid, including tents and shelters—an accusation Israel denied.

Hamas's threat to disrupt the agreement prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to suggest Israel abandon the ceasefire altogether and "unleash full force" unless "all of the hostages" were returned by Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump’s backing and declared: “If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon [10:00 GMT], the ceasefire will be over, and the Israeli military will resume intense operations until Hamas is decisively defeated.”

However, there were mixed signals from Israeli officials about whether Netanyahu was demanding the release of all 76 hostages still held in Gaza, as Trump insisted, or just the three scheduled to be freed that weekend.

Efforts to salvage the ceasefire continued, with an Egyptian security official telling the BBC on Wednesday that Egypt and Qatar were "stepping up diplomatic initiatives" to preserve the agreement. Hamas’s Gaza leader, Khalil al-Hayya, traveled to Cairo for talks with Egypt’s intelligence chief and other officials.

After the discussions concluded on Thursday morning, Hamas released a statement emphasizing the importance of fulfilling all aspects of the deal, particularly regarding the delivery of shelters, medical supplies, heavy equipment, and fuel.

The group described the talks as "positive," stating that mediators had pledged to "remove obstacles and resolve outstanding issues."

"Hamas reaffirms its commitment to implementing the agreement as it was signed, including the prisoner exchange according to the specified timeline," the statement read.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s state-run Al Qahera TV reported that Egypt and Qatar had successfully “resolved key issues” and confirmed that both Israel and Hamas were fully committed to enforcing the terms of the ceasefire.