Hamas Slams Israel for Delaying Palestinian Prisoner Release, Calls It a Violation of Ceasefire

Hamas has strongly criticized Israel’s decision to delay the release of over 600 Palestinian prisoners, rejecting claims that the handover ceremonies for captives were “humiliating.” The group accused Israel of using this as a pretext to evade commitments under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

A Hamas political bureau member stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions were a deliberate attempt to disrupt the agreement and a clear violation of its terms, demonstrating a lack of reliability in honoring commitments.

Israel Delays Release, Cites ‘Humiliating’ Ceremonies

Israel postponed the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners who were set to be freed on Saturday. This came after Hamas fulfilled its side of the ceasefire agreement by releasing six Israeli captives from Gaza, the last group to be freed under the deal’s first phase.

Netanyahu stated that the delay would remain until Hamas ends its public ceremonies when releasing captives, adding a new condition that was not part of the original agreement.

“In light of Hamas’ repeated violations—including the disgraceful ceremonies that dishonor our hostages and their cynical use for propaganda—it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists planned for yesterday until the next phase of releases occurs without the humiliating ceremonies,” Netanyahu’s office announced.

Hamas denounced the move as a blatant violation of the ceasefire and accused Netanyahu of playing “dirty games” to undermine the deal. The group maintained that the ceremonies did not involve mistreatment but were simply a symbolic representation of humane treatment. It also urged mediators to ensure Israel adheres to the agreement.

Families Left Waiting Amid Stalemate

Since the ceasefire began on January 19, Hamas has released 25 Israeli captives in high-profile handovers, often featuring masked fighters accompanying the captives on stage. However, the agreement does not specify how captives or prisoners should be released by either side.

Israel’s decision to delay the Palestinian prisoner release reportedly went against the recommendation of its own security officials.

Palestinian families waited for hours on Saturday, expecting their loved ones to be freed. A prisoner advocacy group stated that most of the 620 inmates scheduled for release were from Gaza and had been detained during the war.

“We sat for hours waiting, but nothing. What else can we do?” said a relative of one detainee. Another family member described the wait as “very difficult,” while others accused Netanyahu of intentionally stalling the process.

Despite growing frustration, families remain hopeful that the prisoners will be released soon.