Hamas said to say it will free hostages on Saturday if Israel ‘honors its commitment’; sources say progress made in talks

Hamas says it does not want the hostage and ceasefire deal to collapse, as Palestinian sources report progress in efforts to save the precarious agreement.

Sources say the terror group told mediators it will free hostages on Saturday if Israel “honors its commitment.”

Hamas says in a statement that mediators are exerting pressure for the deal to be fully implemented. The terror group says that this should include ensuring Israel abides by humanitarian agreements, alongside the release of hostages from Gaza and Palestinian security prisoners from Israel as scheduled on Saturday.

Palestinian sources close to negotiations are reporting progress in efforts to salvage the agreement.

“There is progress,” a source tells AFP, adding that mediators had obtained from Israel a “promise… to put in place a humanitarian protocol starting from this morning.”

“Hamas has confirmed to Egyptian officials its commitment… to conducting the sixth exchange of prisoners on time, on Saturday, as soon as Israel honors its commitment,” another source says.

The first source says that once mediators confirm Israel’s final approval, then “prefabricated units, tents, fuel, heavy equipment, medicine, materials for repairing hospitals and everything linked to the humanitarian protocol” can begin entering the Strip.

The fragile ceasefire has been strained in recent days. Hamas said it wouldn’t release three hostages as planned on Saturday, alleging Israeli violations of the agreement, which Israel denies. US President Donald Trump then warned that “hell” would break loose if Hamas failed to release all the hostages being held in Gaza by Saturday.

Following those remarks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would resume “intense fighting” in Gaza if Hamas did not return hostages by Saturday noon. Israel then put out a series of conflicting statements saying Hamas must release “our hostages,” “9 hostages,” and “all of them” for the ceasefire to continue.