Netanyahu holds off on Palestinian prisoner release despite Hamas returning Israeli hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone back on his promise to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners, even though Hamas returned six Israeli hostages as part of a ceasefire deal. 

The move has sparked concern, as many had expected Israel to follow through with the agreed exchange.

On Saturday, Hamas handed over six hostages to Israel, following the terms of a ceasefire agreement. 

According to reports from AFP, in exchange, Israel was supposed to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners that same day. 

However, Netanyahu stated that he would not free the prisoners at this moment, claiming that the hostages had been returned in what he described as a "humiliating ceremony."

In a statement late Saturday night, Netanyahu expressed his displeasure, saying, "Our hostages were handed back in a humiliating ceremony. They were disrespected, and Hamas repeatedly used them in highly condemnable ways for propaganda purposes. This is a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement. As such, no terrorists (Palestinians) will be released until further hostage exchanges take place without any humiliating ceremonies."

Related News: Hamas frees 5 Israelis, 602 Palestinians to be released under agreement

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on January 19, 2023, following 16 months of conflict. 

This war had broken out on October 7, 2023, leaving both sides deeply scarred. 

As part of the ceasefire deal, Hamas has, up to this point, released a total of 25 hostages. 

However, each release has been marked by elaborate ceremonies staged by Hamas, where masked fighters escorted the hostages onto a platform to wave to cheering crowds in Gaza and give speeches.

The situation intensified last Thursday when Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages. 

Israel quickly accused Hamas of mistakenly delivering the wrong body, but a day later, Hamas provided the correct body, identified as Shiri Bibas. 

Forensic tests confirmed that the remains were indeed those of Bibas, and her family was informed.

Under the terms of the current ceasefire agreement, Hamas is supposed to release 33 Israeli hostages in total, while Israel is expected to free around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. 

This exchange is set to take place over 42 days, after which further phases of the ceasefire would begin.

However, political analysts are concerned that Netanyahu may not be interested in advancing to the next stage of the ceasefire. 

Now that most of the living hostages have been freed, his far-right coalition partners are reportedly pushing for the Israeli military to resume its operations in Gaza. 

Many fear that the ceasefire may not hold for long, especially given the current tension surrounding the hostage exchange.

At the same time, Israel‍‍`s military has been conducting raids in the West Bank. 

According to Al Jazeera, around 90 Palestinians were arrested in the West Bank last week, with more than a dozen reportedly killed during the Israeli raids.

As the situation unfolds, all eyes remain on Netanyahu, who faces mounting pressure both at home and internationally to either honor the ceasefire agreement or face renewed conflict.