Hamas on Monday announced it would stop releasing Israeli hostages until further notice, accusing Israel of violating a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, raising the risk of renewed conflict.

Hamas was set to release more Israeli hostages on Saturday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and other detainees held by Israel, continuing a process that had been in place for three weeks.

Following Hamas’ unexpected announcement, hostage families and their supporters gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square on Monday night, urging the government to uphold the deal.

“Every single person that doesn’t belong there needs to come home now,” said Shoshana Brickman, a protester among around 2,000 demonstrators. “Every single person, all the hostages, all of them.”

Hamas said it was making its decision five days before the scheduled Saturday release to give mediators time to pressure Israel to uphold its ceasefire obligations and “keep the door open for the exchange to take place on time.”

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hamas’ move violated the ceasefire and ordered the military to maintain the highest level of readiness in Gaza and for domestic defence.

An Israeli official said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would meet with the security cabinet, including defence, national security, and foreign affairs ministers, on Tuesday morning.

Two Egyptian security sources told Reuters that mediators fear a breakdown in the ceasefire agreement. Qatar and Egypt brokered the deal alongside the US.

So far, 16 of the 33 hostages set to be freed in the first 42-day phase of the deal have been released, along with five Thai hostages in an unscheduled exchange.

In return, Israel has released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including those serving life sentences for deadly attacks and individuals detained without charge during the war.

Housingdispute

Hamas military wing spokesperson Abu Ubaida accused Israel of violating the ceasefire by delaying Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza, shelling and firing on civilians, and blocking humanitarian aid from entering the strip.

Israel, in turn, has accused Hamas of not following the agreed order of hostage releases and staging public displays when handing over hostages to the Red Cross.

Aid organisations have said that humanitarian assistance to Gaza has increased since the ceasefire began, and Israel denies Hamas’ claims that it is restricting aid.

A source familiar with ceasefire negotiations told Reuters that Israel had rejected requests from the UN, Qatar, and others to allow temporary housing units into Gaza for displaced people, as outlined in the agreement.

Hamas officials said Israel had blocked the entry of 60,000 mobile homes, 200,000 tents, and heavy machinery needed to remove rubble, along with fuel.

US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks that Palestinians should be relocated from Gaza, leaving the area to be developed as a waterfront real estate project under US control, have added uncertainty to postwar plans.

Trump stated that Palestinians would not have the right to return to Gaza, according to a Fox News interview excerpt released on Monday.

“I’m talking about building a permanent place for them,” he said, arguing that “it’ll be years before [Gaza is] habitable.” Trump suggested he could negotiate with Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza.

Returning from Washington over the weekend, Netanyahu praised Trump’s ideas.

Netanyahu’s office said on Monday that an Israeli delegation had returned from ceasefire talks in Qatar, amid growing doubts over the Egypt- and Qatar-brokered process. There was no immediate explanation for the delegation’s return.

A Palestinian official close to the discussions said progress was being stalled by mutual distrust.

The emaciated appearance of Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy, three hostages released on Saturday, has shocked Israelis and further complicated negotiations.

An Israeli Channel 13 poll on Monday showed that 67% of Israelis supported moving to the next phase of the deal, while 19% opposed it. The poll was conducted before Hamas announced it was halting the process.