Israel said on Sunday it was delaying the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners it had planned to free the day before until the group Hamas met its conditions, underscoring the fragility of the Gaza ceasefire accord.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement in the early hours of Sunday saying that Israel was waiting to deliver the 620 Palestinian prisoners and detainees “until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies.”
That was a reference to recent handovers by Hamas that UN officials have said went against international law because they were not respectful.
Hamas has made hostages appear on stage in front of crowds and sometimes speak before they were handed over. Coffins with hostage remains have also been carried through crowds.
Israel’s announcement, which also accused Hamas of repeatedly violating the month-old ceasefire, came after the Palestinian group on Saturday handed over six hostages from Gaza as part of an exchange arranged under the truce.
Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif Al-Qanou earlier accused Israel of violating the ceasefire as Saturday elapsed without the release of Palestinians as planned.
Israel and Hamas have frequently accused each other of violations since the ceasefire started on January 19 but it has so far continued to hold. Hamas at one stage said it would stop handing over hostages because of alleged Israeli breaches.
Hamas rejected criticism of the handover events on Saturday, describing them as a solemn show of Palestinian unity. It handed over a sixth hostage, Hisham Al-Sayed, a 36-year-old Arab citizen of Israel, to the Red Cross in Gaza City without a public ceremony.
Al-Sayed and Mengistu had been held by Hamas since they entered Gaza of their own accord around a decade ago. Shoham was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri along with his wife and two children, who were freed in a brief truce in November 2023.
