Hamas was expected to name three hostages it will release this weekend as part of a planned exchange for Palestinian prisoners, local media said, after days of uncertainty in which Israel threatened to scrap a nearly month-old Gaza ceasefire deal, AFP reports.

Israel warned on Thursday that Hamas must release three living hostages this weekend or face a resumption of the onslaught in Gaza, after Hamas said it would pause releases over apparent Israeli violations of the truce.

Israeli media reported on Thursday that Hamas was set to name three hostages it would release on Saturday, after it reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire and to carrying out the next exchange “according to the specified timetable”.

“We are keen to implement it (the ceasefire) and oblige the occupation to fully abide by it,” Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou said, adding that mediators were pushing for Israel “to resume the exchange process on Saturday”.

Israel had insisted Hamas release “three live hostages” on Saturday.

“If those three are not released, if Hamas does not return our hostages, by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end,” said government spokesman David Mencer.