Egyptian-Qatari efforts have cleared obstacles to keeping the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas on schedule, an official source told the Egyptian Extra News TV on Feb. 13, according to Al Ahram. The source stated that the efforts allowed temporary homes, tents, food supplies, and fuel to enter Gaza and that the exchange of prisoners and hostages will occur on Saturday, Feb. 15, as planned.
A Hamas delegation, led by chief Khalil Al-Hayya, reached Cairo for discussions with Egyptian officials about the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire, they stated. After the Cairo talks, Hamas confirmed it will uphold the Gaza ceasefire deal, including the timely exchange of hostages and prisoners with Israel.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement today demanding that Hamas release three hostages on Feb. 15, as the ceasefire agreement specifies, or Israel will resume the war. According to The Guardian, the statement ends two days of confusion following Donald Trump’s declaration that Israel should demand that Hamas release all the remaining 76 hostages by Saturday, and failing that, end the ceasefire.
Al Ahram, in its report, added that Al-Qahera News TV network reported that on Feb. 13, trucks carrying temporary homes and heavy machinery assembled at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, ready to enter the Gaza Strip.
A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later denied that mobile homes and heavy construction equipment were entering Gaza, wrote the Times of Israel. “There is no basis for it,” the statement said, with Netanyahu spokesman Omer Dostri following up with a clarification that “there is no entry of mobile homes or heavy equipment into Gaza, and there is no coordination for it.” Egyptian security sources told Reuters that they expected heavy construction equipment to enter on Feb. 13, and that, if that happened, then Hamas would release hostages on Feb. 15 as scheduled.
Overall the two sides disagree on how much humanitarian aid has entered Gaza in recent days. Hamas has said that only 73,000 of a needed 200,000 tents had entered Gaza Strip, but no mobile homes. On the other hand, COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry agency that handles civil affairs in the occupied territory, claimed that 400,000 tents had been allowed in, but that the countries responsible for supplying the mobile homes hadn’t sent them yet.
International aid officials confirmed that aid was coming in despite considerable logistical problems, though they cautioned that far more was needed. “We have seen improvement in some ways, but certainly, the response is nowhere near enough to meet the needs of so many people who face so much destruction and loss,” said Shaina Low, an official from the Norwegian Refugee Council.
