The hours are critical for the survival of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas as today’s expected release of the Israeli hostages has so far not taken place with the Palestinian armed group saying it is being delayed because the terms have been violated and Israel warning that if if the hostages are not released by midnight they will start operations again.

The release of the Israeli hostages has turned into a thriller as the military wing of Hamas announces that it has decided to delay the release of the second group because the terms of the agreement were violated by Israel.

The military wing claims it is delaying the release “until the occupation complies with the terms of the agreement regarding the entry of aid trucks into the northern Gaza Strip and due to non-compliance with the agreed terms for the release of prisoners.”

The al-Qassam Brigades added that the hostage releases would be delayed if Israel did not meet the agreed terms cfor the release of Palestinian prisoners.

And an adviser to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Israel had violated the terms of the temporary ceasefire.

Taher al-Nono tells Al Jazeera that Israel has not complied with clauses regarding the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, particularly regarding the distribution of aid in the northern Strip where fighting has been most intense.

Nono also claims that Israel did not comply with the conditions regarding the release of Palestinian prisoners, whom Hamas had pressured to be released in a different order than Israel did.

Earlier Israeli media reported that some hostages, still held by Hamas, were in the process of being handed over to the Red Cross on Saturday.

According to Israeli officials, the hostages have not yet been handed over to the Red Cross.

The process of freeing the second group of Israeli hostages was scheduled to begin today at 4:00 p.m., however there appears to have been a delay with Israeli news network Channel 12 reporting that the process would begin at 5:00 p.m.

On the second day of the agreement, Hamas is expected to release 13 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of 39 Palestinian prisoners, Olivier Rafowitz, a spokesman for the Israeli army, told French broadcaster BFMTV this afternoon.