Israel has indefinitely postponed the release of over 600 Palestinian prisoners, marking a potential setback in the ongoing ceasefire process. 

This decision follows the release of six Israeli hostages, including four taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the Palestinian prisoner release would be delayed until the next hostages are freed by Hamas. 

Netanyahu emphasized that the release would occur without the "degrading ceremonies" that have characterized previous handovers. 

The first phase of the ceasefire includes one final handover of deceased hostages, but no arrangements for living hostages in phase two have been made.

Mediators are working intensively to salvage the ceasefire agreement, which Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating through "cynical propaganda" and "repeated breaches." 

The release on Saturday included four hostages from the Nova music festival—Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen, and Omer Wenkert—as well as Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who had been held for years.

The released hostages marked the final living returnees for the first ceasefire phase, set to end next Saturday. In the West Bank, families awaited the Palestinian prisoners’ release, with many expressing deep emotion, especially after long incarcerations.

Hamas has since accused Israel of breaching the agreement by delaying the release, though no immediate response came from Israeli officials.

With around 62 hostages still held by Hamas, mediators continue to negotiate to maintain the fragile ceasefire, as tensions remain high.

Source: BBC

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