Israel’s Continued Strikes Block Ceasefire amid Captive Exchange Deal

The delay comes as the Israeli regime continued attacks, with Hamas citing "technical" challenges for the setback.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari accused Hamas of failing to meet its obligations under the ceasefire agreement.

"As of this morning, Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations, and contrary to the agreement has not given Israel the names of the hostages," Hagari said in a statement.

Following Netanyahu’s directive, Hagari added, "The ceasefire will not take effect as long as Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations. The (Israeli military) is continuing to strike now in Gaza."

The truce, scheduled to commence at 08:30 am local time (06:30 GMT), would pause hostilities and facilitate the release of three Israeli captives and approximately 95 Palestinian prisoners. However, the delay has stalled these efforts.

Hamas has attributed the holdup to "technical and field" reasons. Tamer Qarmout, a public policy professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, explained that Hamas seeks to avoid revealing the captives' locations, describing the situation as a "multi-phase approach" to leverage its position.

"Hamas wants to ensure it does not expose the whereabouts of the remaining captives," Qarmout told Al Jazeera. He noted that intense Israeli military presence in Gaza complicates efforts to verify and secure captives' conditions.

Additionally, Qarmout stated that Hamas’ negotiation team in Qatar had requested Israel to pause its operations over the past two days to enable logistical coordination, but this request was not met.

"Hamas operates through complex channels of communication," he said, emphasizing how ongoing bombardments and drone surveillance severely hinder movements on the ground.

The scale of devastation complicates efforts to locate captives, who may be scattered across various regions, including northern Gaza, Gaza City, and Rafah. "It requires caution and diligence to avoid harm," Qarmout added.

Israeli genocidal war in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 46,899 Palestinians and injured 110,725 since October 7, according to local health authorities. With the ceasefire uncertain, the war shows no immediate signs of abating.