Postponement of Hostage Handover in Hamas-Israel Exchange Deal Amidst Tensions in Rafah

The Hamas movement announced today, Sunday, the postponement of the handover of a new group of Israeli hostages, which was scheduled as part of the first phase of a prisoner exchange deal with Israel, until Monday. The decision was attributed to a “sudden deterioration in the security situation” east of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

The postponement comes hours after logistical arrangements began to finalize the deal, with Israeli authorities transferring hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to the “Ofer” and “Ktziot” prisons in preparation for their release. The agreement includes the release of 250 prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 other detainees.

According to informed sources, the decision was made after an incident in which a Red Cross ambulance was hit by Israeli artillery fire near Rafah, where the team responsible for transferring the hostages was present. Hamas described the incident as a “threat to the safety of the entire operation” and called on Qatari and American mediators to intervene to stop the violations and ensure adherence to the truce terms.

Israel denied that the shelling was intentional, describing it as a “technical error during an aerial reconnaissance operation.” The Israeli government called for the deal to be completed on schedule without “unjustified delays.”

In light of the approaching deadline for the temporary truce, Palestinian officials warned that the postponement could complicate the negotiation process, noting that the time available to complete the subsequent stages of the deal is limited.

In Israel, families of the hostages expressed anger over the postponement, demanding that the government provide “immediate guarantees” for the safety of their loved ones. International envoys, including US Envoy Steve Wicklow, are closely monitoring the developments.

This batch is part of a broader agreement aimed at releasing more than 100 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, as part of international efforts to reduce escalation and reactivate the political process.