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Rabat – Israel announced today that it will delay the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that releasing Palestinians would be postponed until, citing Hamas’ “humiliating ceremonies” while releasing Israeli hostages.
Netanyahu’s decision comes after Hamas showed commitment to the truce, releasing six Israeli hostages from Gaza, the last group of living hostages to be freed under the first phase of the ceasefire.
In a statement on their reason for the decision, Israel cited “repeated violations” that they accused Hamas of committing, including “the disgraceful ceremonies that dishonor our hostages and the cynical use of hostages for propaganda.”
One of the Israeli hostages released yesterday appeared kissing the forehead of a Hamas member on the podium at the handover point, a point that could be the reason why Netanyahu decided to describe the ceremonies as “humiliating.”
In response, Hamas described Netanyahu’s move as a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement, describing his claims of “humiliating ceremonies” as false.
Read also: Freed Palestinians Tell Stories of Inhumane Conditions in Israeli Prisons
A member of Hamas’ political bureau Ezzat El Rashq condemned the decision of the Israeli Prime Minister, describing it as “a deliberate attempt to disrupt the agreement.”
The Palestinian group further said that the postponement “shows the occupation’s lack of reliability in implementing its obligations” and abiding by the agreements’ terms.
The Hamas bureau further said that Israel seems to be playing “dirty games to sabotage and undermine” the deal ahead of the second round of the negotiation.
The disappointing and drastic change comes as Palestinian families were anxiously waiting yesterday for the release of their loved ones from Israeli prisons.
While Hamas has shown commitment to the deal’s terms, Israel’s decision reflects its willingness to shatter Palestinians’ hopes to advance to the next stage of the ceasefire in Gaza.
The move reveals Israel’s strategic interests aimed at paving the way for imposing new terms during the next stage of the deal.
