RAMALLAH, Palestine

A Palestinian official warned Monday that the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal is at risk of collapse.

“There is high risk of a collapse of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza due to three Israeli violations of the agreement,” Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI), a Palestinian political party that describes itself as a democratic movement of non-violent resistance to the Israeli occupation, said on X.

He outlined the three key violations, starting with ongoing Israeli gunfire targeting Palestinians in Gaza, which has left 25 dead since the ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19.

The second violation, he said, is Israel’s continued blockade of humanitarian aid, including its refusal to allow the entry of tents and shelters that were supposed to reach Gaza under the agreement.

“Thirdly, (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and the American President (Donald) Trump provoked all Palestinians with their repeated statements of their intentions of the total ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip, which was met with wide international rejection and condemnation,” he said.

On Monday evening, the military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that it was postponing the release of Israeli hostages scheduled for Saturday, citing ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement by Israel as the reason.

Despite the truce, the Israeli military continues to open fire almost daily using drones in various parts of the enclave, resulting in casualties, including children and the elderly.

On Friday, the head of the Government Media Office in Gaza, Salama Maarouf, said that only 8,500 aid trucks had entered the enclave since Jan. 19, far fewer than the 12,000 that were expected.

Speaking at a press conference in Gaza City, Maarouf noted that the ceasefire agreement stipulated the daily entry of 600 aid trucks, including 50 fuel trucks, along with 60,000 mobile housing units, 200,000 tents, solar panels, generators and equipment to clear rubble and restore basic infrastructure.

Only 10% of the required tents have arrived, and no mobile homes have been allowed in, he added.

Israeli reports suggest that Netanyahu’s government is deliberately blocking aid and reconstruction efforts to push Palestinians out of Gaza, aligning with Trump’s reported plan to seize control of the enclave and displace its residents.

The three-phase ceasefire deal has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,000 people and left the enclave in ruins.

In the first phase of the truce, which runs until early March, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners. The sixth Israeli-Hamas swap was scheduled this week.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.