Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delays the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, thus calling into question the future of the truce. Hamas accused Israel of “serious danger to the whole agreement”.
Israel says that he delays the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners until “the release of the next hostages is ensured, and without humiliating ceremonies” during Israeli captives to Gaza.
The declaration was made by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu early on Sunday. The military vehicles which normally precede the buses carrying the prisoners left the open doors of OFER prison, before turning around and returning to it.
The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners was delayed for several hours. It was to take place just after the release of six Israeli hostages by Hamas on Saturday, as part of what was to be the largest release of prisoners in one day during the first phase of the ceasefire.
Israel’s steep decision to delay the liberation of prisoners “until further notice” calls into question an already fragile truce.
“Delaying the release of our prisoners (…) The enemy behaves like a thug and seriously put the whole agreement” of Trêve, told AFP Bassem Naïm, senior Hamas, calling the Mediators having enabled the agreement, “in particular the United States”, to “put pressure on the enemy to implement the agreement and immediately release this group of prisoners”.
Five of the six hostages released from Gaza on Saturday were escorted by masked and armed activists in front of a large crowd (the sixth was released without any ceremony). International organizations such as the United Nations and the Red Cross criticized this show, calling it cruel.
The Israeli press release adds that “the ceremonies that lower the dignity of our hostages and the cynical use of hostages for propaganda purposes” are one of the reasons for delay.
The six hostages released by Hamas on Saturday were the last living hostages which were to be released within the framework of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement concluded under the aegis of the United States, Qatar and the Egypt. The talks on the second phase have not yet started.
What is the continuation of the events?
The cease-fire agreement has put an end to the deadliest and most devastating battles ever led between Israel and Hamas. We are now afraid that the war will only resume the negotiations on the second phase of the truce are underway.
Hamas said it would release four bodies next week to carry out its share of the first phase of the ceasefire, namely the release of at least 33 hostages. The Islamist group holds even more than 60 hostages, half of which would still be alive.
The second phase of the ceasefire will see Hamas release all the remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of additional Palestinian prisoners. This second phase must also allow a complete withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip and put an end to the fighting.
Hamas says he is ready to go to the second phase, but he stressed that he would not release the remaining hostages without Israel guaranteeing him that he will also undertake to respect his share of the agreement.
Netanyahu, with the support of the administration of the American president Donald Trump, said that he undertook to destroy the military and governmental capacities of Hamas and to make all the hostages.
An Israeli official told the Associated Press that the Prime Minister would meet his security advisers on Saturday evening to discuss the future of the truce.
The Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. About 90 % of the 2.1 million inhabitants of Gaza were also moved, sometimes on several occasions.
The offensive has destroyed most infrastructure and buildings of the enclave. The United Nations said that it would take decades in Gaza to rebuild and get up.
The War of Israel against Gaza was a response to the attack on Hamas on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people.
Additional sources • Adaptation: Serge Duchêne