Delaying will happen until Hamas presents guarantees that he will end the ‘humiliating ceremonies’ of liberation of Israeli hostages
He accused him of “serious danger” the truce agreement after the Israeli government’s decision to postpone the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners who should have been released on Saturday after the delivery of six Israeli hostages.
“By postponing the liberation of our prisoners … The enemy behaves like a criminal and puts in serious danger the whole truce agreement,” Hamas leader Naïm told AFP Bassem Naïm. Naïm asked international mediators, “in particular the United States,” that “pressures the enemy to apply the agreement and immediately free this group of prisoners.”
Israel announced on Sunday the postponement of the release of the Palestinian prisoners, provided for as to the fragile ceasefire in force in the Gaza Strip, until Hamas presents guarantees that he will end the “humiliating ceremonies” of liberation from Israeli hostages.
In the staged and broadcast ceremonies, hostages receive on Hebrew certified stages to mark the end of their captivity. Some are required to pronounce a few words in a microphone before being handed over to employees of the Red Cross International Committee (CIAB), who carry them even representatives of Israeli security forces.
The truce came into force on January 19, after more than 15 months of a war triggered by the Hamas attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023. The first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which provides for three phases, ends in March 1st.
On Saturday, in what should be the seventh exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners based on the truce, Hamas released six hostages, as expected. Four of the six hostages released on Saturday were kidnapped during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel. In return, 602 prisoners should be released on Saturday by Israel, according to the NGO Club of Palestinian prisoners.
Posted by Luisa Cardoso
*With information from AFP
