Israel says it is delaying the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners until "secured the release of the other hostages, without humiliating ceremonies" in the transfer of Israeli prisoners in Gaza.
With this Statement came early Sunday morning from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The military vehicles, which usually move ahead of the buses carrying the prisoners, left the Ofer prison gates open, only to turn around and return.
The release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners was delayed by several hours. It was due to take place immediately after Hamas released six Israeli hostages on Saturday, the largest single-day release of prisoners in the first phase of the ceasefire.
Israel's sudden decision to postpone the release of the prisoners "until further notice" further calls into question the already fragile ceasefire.
Five of the six hostages who were released from Gaza on Saturday were escorted by masked and armed militants in front of large crowds. International organisations such as the United Nations and the Red Cross criticised the display, describing it as cruel.
The Israeli statement added that "ceremonies that demean the dignity of our hostages and the cynical use of hostages for propaganda purposes" are one of the reasons for the postponement.
The six hostages released by Hamas on Saturday were the last surviving hostages expected to be freed under the first phase of a ceasefire deal brokered jointly by the US, Qatar and Egypt. Talks on the second phase have yet to begin.
What's next?
The ceasefire agreement suspended the most destructive and deadliest fighting between Israel and Hamas in history. There are now fears that the war will be resumed, as this is the second phase of the ceasefire.
Hamas said it would release four dead next week to successfully complete its part of the first phase of the ceasefire, which involves the release of at least 33 hostages. The group will still hold more than 60 hostages, with up to half of them believed to be alive.
In the second phase of the ceasefire, Hamas will release all remaining prisoners in exchange for hundreds more Palestinian prisoners. The second phase is also to offer a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a definitive end to the fighting.
Hamas says it is ready to move on to the second phase, but has stressed that it will not release the remaining prisoners without guarantees from Israel that it will also commit to upholding its end of the bargain.
Netanyahu, backed by the administration of US President Donald Trump, says he is determined to destroy Hamas' military and government capabilities and return all hostages.
An Israeli official told the Associated Press that Netanyahu will meet with security advisers on Saturday evening to discuss the future of the ceasefire.
The Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry. Approximately 90 % of Gaza's 2.1 million residents have also been displaced, some several times.
The offensive destroyed most of the infrastructure and buildings in the enclave. The UN has previously stated that the reconstruction and recovery of Gaza will take decades.
Israel's war in Gaza was in response to the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023, which killed some 1,200 people.
euronews/ gnews.cz - RoZ
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