Hamas officially announced early Thursday afternoon that it is continuing to carry out the hostage deal and will release three hostages on Shabbos.

Al Jazeera reported earlier on Thursday that trailers and heavy equipment have begun to be transferred to Gaza from Egypt. The entry has not yet been approved by Israel due to Hamas’s announcement earlier this week that it is violating the deal and suspending the next release of hostages. Following the report, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement denying it, saying it is “fake news.”

Earlier on Thursday, a message on an official Hamas channel said that the terror group is committed to continuing the hostage deal and intends to carry out the sixth hostage release on Shabbos and release another three hostages.

The report added that Hamas conditioned the step on Israel allowing the entry of trailers, tents, heavy equipment, fuel, medications, and hospital construction materials into the Gaza Strip.

Following US President Donald Trump’s warning that Hamas must release all the hostages on Saturday,  Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that Hamas was “committed” to implementing the previously agreed schedule of the hostage deal and that they would not release “all” the Israeli hostages on Saturday.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)