(The Age, SMH, 24/2/2025)
This is so evil – Israel has broken every part of the cease fire deal and simply needs any excuse to deflect attention from this – not that the world’s media will ever report what they do – Mark
Tel Aviv: Israel has delayed the expected release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, saying it will not free them until the next handover of Israeli hostages in Gaza is assured and “without the humiliating ceremonies”.
In a development that has put the future of the Gaza ceasefire deal into further doubt, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement on Sunday saying the release of 620 prisoners would be delayed – as vehicles apparently carrying prisoners left Ofer prison in the West Bank, only to turn around and go back in.
The release of the prisoners was meant to have occurred just after Hamas released six Israeli hostages held in Gaza on Saturday, five of them during a staged display involving armed militants, and would have been the largest one-day prisoner release in the Gaza ceasefire’s first phase.
Since reaching the ceasefire agreement, Hamas has released Israeli hostages at large public displays in Gaza that the United Nations and others have criticised as cruel.
Israel said the ceremonies “demean the dignity of our hostages” and criticised the “cynical use of the hostages for propaganda purposes” – probably a reference to a Hamas video showing two hostages who have yet to be released watching a handover in Gaza on Saturday and speaking under duress.
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