Basem Naim says that Israel must release 620 Palestinian prisoners as planned if counting talks must continue.
A Hamas official accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “intentionally sabotage” the Gaza cease-fire agreement after Israel has postponed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
In an interview with Tel Aviv Tribune on Monday, Basem Naim said that Hamas would not engage in new cease-fire talks until Israel releases the 620 Palestinian prisoners who were to be released on Saturday.
“Before going to the next stage, we must be sure that the last step, which published 620 prisoners, is already released,” said Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau.
“Netanyahu clearly sends strong messages that he intentionally sabotes the agreement, he prepares the atmosphere to return to war.”
Israel announced on Sunday that it had decided to delay the release of Palestinian prisoners who were to be released one day earlier in exchange for six Israeli captives detained in Gaza.
In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said this decision came in response to captive liberation ceremonies held by Hamas “which humiliate our hostages” as well as “the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes”.
Israel and Hamas have carried out a series of captive prison exchanges since a cease-fire agreement that entered into the Gaza Strip last month.
While the mediators urged the two parties to continue the negotiations to reach the second phase of the agreement, the observers wondered if Netanyahu was willing to go to this next step.
MERON RAPOPORT, editor-in-chief of the local appeal of the Israeli academic press, told Tel Aviv Tribune on Monday that Netanyahu intended to resume the Israeli war in Gaza but should face strong opposition from the Israeli public.
“The expectations of hostages’ families (which remain in Gaza) is that all hostages should be released,” said Rapoport.
Hamas is expected to release the bodies from four Israeli captives later this week as part of the cease-fire agreement.
Asked about this, as well as the future of the agreement itself, Naim told Tel Aviv Tribune that “all the options are on the table”.
“What are the guarantees that (Netanyahu) could take the other four bodies and not yet release the agreed number of Palestinians plus 620 Palestinians?” Asked the Hamas manager.
“All the options are on the table, not only what should happen on Thursday but even the other elements of the agreement.”
