Hamas plays for time, stalling hostage talks and banking on a prolonged ceasefire.
"I still can't process that I'm here and there are still people who haven't returned," former hostage Alexander Sasha Troufanov said.
The terorr group's spokesman, Hazem Qassem, made this statement after Hamas dismissed Israel's attempts of extending the hostage deal's first phase.
The IDF was supposed to reduce its presence on the Philadelphi Corridor and then withdraw from it completely over the course of the first 50 days.
Hamas’s armed wing has appointed new commanders and also begun repairing its underground tunnel network in preparation for the possibility of returning to war with Israel.
Ohad Yahalomi sealed his family in a safe room and stayed outside to guard them with only a handgun on October 7.
600 Palestinian prisoners to be released as Hamas conditions second phase of hostage release
Sources estimate that, despite the lack of agreement and cohesion on the next steps, the ceasefire will continue, not collapse.
Regarding the release of additional hostages, in recent days, inquiries and ideas have been raised, but there was no real negotiation, two sources involved in the negotiations told the Post.
'Gaza will be rehabilitated, and conditions for self-governance will be created,' Lapid said.