JERUSALEM, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Thursday denied media reports that the crisis between Israel and Hamas, which threatened to collapse the Gaza ceasefire, had been resolved.
Reports in Arab and Israeli media suggested that mediators had facilitated understandings between Israel and Hamas to sustain the ceasefire, which faced its most serious crisis this week since taking effect on Jan. 19. Hamas had announced a delay in the expected release of three more hostages, citing repeated Israeli violations of the agreement, while Israel threatened to resume its attack in Gaza.
In a statement, Netanyahu's office dismissed the reports as "fake news," calling them "baseless."
Earlier on Thursday, Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou reiterated the group's commitment to the agreement, stating that it was "keen to implement" the ceasefire deal and "oblige the occupation to fully abide by it."
According to al-Qanou, "mediators are pressuring (Israel) to complete the full implementation of the agreement, oblige the occupation to abide by the humanitarian protocol, and resume the exchange process on Saturday."
Video footage on social media showed dozens of trailers and engineering vehicles lined up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, awaiting entry into the Palestinian enclave. Hamas has demanded that Israel enable their passage as part of the ceasefire agreement.
In the initial stage of the ceasefire agreement, spanning six weeks, a total of 33 Israeli hostages are to be freed in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Sixteen of those hostages have already been freed in recent weeks, along with five Thais, and three more were set to be released by Hamas this Saturday.
A total of 76 hostages remain in Gaza, almost half of whom are presumed dead. ■
