Hamas announced that the release of the hostages planned for Saturday has been postponed until the next announcement. A Palestinian had lost his life as a result of the firing opened by the Israeli army in the north of the Gaza Strip, violating the ceasefire.

After the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect, prisoner exchanges were made. The next exchange was planned to take place on Saturday.

According to today’s statement by Hamas, the release of hostages has been postponed until the next announcement. The decision to postpone was reportedly made due to Israel’s violation of the ceasefire agreement.

ISRAEL VIOLATES CEASEFIRE

As a result of the Israeli army violating the ceasefire and opening fire in the north of the Gaza Strip, one Palestinian lost his life. It was reported that those fired upon were returning to their homes in the area to see their families after the Israeli army withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor, separating the north and south of the Gaza Strip. Witnesses also reported that Israeli forces stationed near security fences in the city’s east intermittently targeted Palestinians returning to the area to check on their homes. Witnesses shared that Israeli military vehicles opened fire towards the eastern parts of the Zeytun neighborhood in Gaza City and the eastern part of the El-Fuhari town in Han Yunus in the south of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army had withdrawn from the Netzarim Corridor, dividing the Gaza Strip into north and south, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement with Hamas yesterday. CEASEFIRE AND PRISONER EXCHANGE AGREEMENT The ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement reached between Hamas and Israel went into effect at 12:15 GMT on Sunday, January 19. As part of the agreement, on Monday, January 27, the Netzarim Corridor was opened for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to pass from south to north. In the first five rounds of the prisoner exchange, 766 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, along with 16 Israelis and 5 Thais in Gaza, were released. According to the ceasefire agreement consisting of three stages, a total of over 1900 Palestinian prisoners and 33 Israeli prisoners are expected to be released in the 42-day first stage. However, despite the agreement reached, the Israeli army occasionally violates the ceasefire.