STORY: :: File
Hamas on Sunday condemned Israel’s decision to postpone the release of over 600 Palestinian prisoners and detainees,
after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded an end to its hostage handover ceremonies like this one, calling them “humiliating”.
Hamas has made hostages appear on stage in front of crowds before they are handed over as part of an exchange arranged under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
Coffins with hostage remains have also been carried through the large crowds.
:: Hamas Military Wing
A member of the Hamas political bureau said in a statement the humiliation claim was false and a pretext to evade Israel’s obligations under the ceasefire agreement.
The official cited Israeli authorities’ move to blindfold and tie the hands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, as well as threats for them not to celebrate their releases, as examples of Israel’s own humiliation tactics.
Netanyahu’s office released a statement in the early hours of Sunday, saying it would delay the release of the detained Palestinians until Hamas met its conditions.
That included assurances that more hostages would be released.
Israel’s announcement also accused Hamas of repeatedly violating the month-old ceasefire.
:: Hamas Military Wing
It came a day after Hamas handed over the last six surviving hostages as agreed in the first of three phases under the deal.
The bodies of four dead Israeli captives were to be released next week.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday the U.S. expects the second phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal to go forward, and that he would visit the region in the coming week.
