Newspaper: Hamas signals readiness to continue prisoner exchange as US pressure mounts Three more hostages to be freed

The crisis surrounding the implementation of the prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas is reportedly moving toward resolution.

According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the situation, which reached an impasse after Hamas suspended the release of prisoners, is now showing signs of progress, per Caliber.Az.

The report also indicates that three Israeli captives are expected to be released on Saturday, February 15.

An unnamed Israeli official stated that both Israel and Hamas are aiming for the successful completion of the agreement’s first phase. Hamas has reportedly sent signals expressing its readiness to continue with the process.

However, the official noted that U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to Hamas — warning of “opening the gates of hell” if all prisoners are not released by Saturday — has put Israel in a difficult position.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump’s message, saying, "If Hamas fails to uphold the agreement on Saturday, we will return to the situation we were in months ago—Hamas will be destroyed, and Israeli forces will move in to resolve the issue." Rubio accused Hamas of violating the agreement, stating, "Hamas is in breach. They are at fault. The president is fed up with this trickle of hostage releases—he wants people out now. We saw the condition of those freed last week—they were on the brink of death. They looked terrible, and the president has had enough."

Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, affiliated with Hezbollah, cited sources who described a "positive" meeting in Cairo on February 12 between Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad and a Hamas delegation. The report said agreements were made to facilitate the completion of the deal, with a focus on humanitarian aid commitments.

Sources indicated that Egypt proposed a compromise, ensuring partial implementation of the humanitarian aid provisions. “Everything now depends on Israel’s response to the Egyptian proposal,” the report said.

In a similar report on Egypt’s Al Ghad channel, it was claimed that Cairo had helped bridge the gaps between Hamas and Israel, enabling the scheduled hostage release on February 15. The report stated that Hamas had confirmed its commitment to the deal, with an agreement in place to allow more aid into Gaza, including caravans for displaced residents. Furthermore, the number of aid trucks permitted to enter northern Gaza is set to increase.

Hamas-affiliated Quds Network also reported that 801 trucks entered Gaza on February 12, marking the highest number of aid deliveries since the ceasefire began. According to the report, 231 trucks were directed to northern Gaza, with 139 via the Erez crossing and 92 via Zikim, while the remaining 570 entered through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Under the agreement, Israel had committed to allowing 600 aid trucks per day into Gaza, meaning those deliveries exceeded the quota by 201 trucks.

Hamas previously claimed that Israeli delays in permitting shelters, tents, and caravans for displaced Palestinians were among the reasons it temporarily halted the hostage deal. An Egyptian official confirmed that the parties were "close to an agreement" and noted that Israel had committed to increasing the delivery of tents, shelters, and heavy equipment to Gaza.

A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took effect on January 19. On the same day, Palestinian factions released the first group of hostages, which included three Israeli women. The first phase of the agreement, lasting 42 days, involves the release of at least 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

The second phase includes the release of remaining hostages and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. On February 1, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that he had agreed with U.S. President Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steven Whitkoff, to begin negotiations on the second phase during a visit to Washington on February 3. 

By Tamilla Hasanova