On Sunday, Israel announced it would postpone the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners that had been scheduled for the day prior, pending compliance by the militant group Hamas regarding conditions set forth in the agreement. This development highlights the ongoing fragility of the ceasefire in Gaza.
The announcement was made through a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office early Sunday morning. The statement indicated that Israel would defer the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners and detainees until assurances for the release of additional hostages were in place, emphasizing that this would occur without any symbolic ceremonies.
The delay follows Hamas’s recent release of six hostages from Gaza, part of an exchange organized under the ceasefire agreement. These six individuals were reported to be the last living Israeli captives scheduled for release in the initial phase of the ceasefire.
Additionally, the bodies of four deceased Israeli hostages are set to be handed over next week. After the arrival of the six released hostages in Israel, it was reported that Hamas shared a video featuring two other hostages, Eviatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, observing one of the handover events that took place earlier that day.
Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif Al-Qanou criticized Israel for what he claimed were violations of the ceasefire, particularly as Saturday concluded without the anticipated release of Palestinian prisoners.
Since the ceasefire took effect on January 19, both Israel and Hamas have accused one another of breaking the terms, yet the agreement has largely remained intact. At one point, Hamas threatened to halt the hostages’ release due to alleged Israeli breaches of the ceasefire conditions.
