Hamas politburo member Basem Naim accused Israel of ‘behaving like thugs’ [Getty]
Israel is jeopardising the Gaza ceasefire by delaying the release of Palestinian detainees who were due to be freed after six Israeli captives were released a day earlier, Hamas officials have said.
“What the enemy government is doing by postponing the release of our prisoners according to the agreement is behaving like thugs and this exposes the entire agreement to grave danger,” senior Hamas official Bassem Naim told AFP, calling on the mediators, “especially the United States” to pressure Israel “to implement the agreement as it is and immediately release this batch of prisoners”.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early Sunday that he had decided to delay the release of the seventh batch of Palestinian detainees until the release of Israeli captives “is guaranteed without provocative ceremonies”.
That was a reference to recent handovers by Hamas that UN officials have said went against international law because they were “not respectful”.
Hamas has made captives appear on stage in front of crowds and sometimes speak before they were handed over.
Coffins with remains of captives have also been carried through crowds.
Hamas Political Bureau member Izzat al-Rishq dismissed the Israeli statements as being part of attempts at “evading the [ceasefire] agreement’s obligations”.
Naim also said that the captive release ceremonies “do not include any insult to the prisoners, but rather reflect the humane and dignified treatment of them”.
He added that the “real insult” was the treatment of Palestinian detainees, who are subjected to “torture, beatings and deliberate humiliation until the last moments”.
”The Palestinian prisoners are released with their hands tied and blindfolded, and their families are threatened not to hold any celebrations to welcome their released sons,” al-Rishq said.
The Hamas official urged the ceasefire mediators to ensure that Israel complies with its obligations under the agreement.
On Saturday, Israel was scheduled to release 620 Palestinian detainees, including 50 serving life sentences, 60 serving long sentences, 41 who were re-arrested after the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner swap, and 445 detainees from the Gaza Strip who were arrested by Israel after October 7, 2023.
Agencies contributed to this report.
