Netanyahu prepares to end genocide pause, refuses to release 602 captive Palestinians

The Israeli government has postponed the release of Palestinian detainees who were set to be freed on Saturday under the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Early on Sunday, after hours of stalling, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Palestinian prisoners' release will be delayed indefinitely. Netanyahu pointed to the celebratory events arranged by the Resistance before handing over Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as the reason behind the decision.

"In light of the repeated violations by Hamas — including the ceremonies that demean our hostages and the cynical use of our hostages for propaganda purposes — it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists planned for yesterday until the next release of hostages is guaranteed, and without the degrading ceremonies," Netanyahu said.

𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐠𝐨𝐯. 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞

In a widely circulated video, Israeli captive Omer Shem Tov was seen kissing the foreheads of two al-Qassam Brigades fighters during the event in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp. The footage quickly went viral across social media platforms.

Two other Israeli captives, Eviatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, were also seen in the ceremony. The two captives were not scheduled for release in the first stage of the ceasefire agreement. Moreover, the status of the two has been unknown for months now.

Both David and Gilbao-Dalal were shocked to see fellow captives being released and urged the Israeli government to secure their release.

"Netanyahu stop! You have finished us, you killed us!" Gilboa-Dalal said.

"Return us to our homes, please!" both captives urged.

Gilboa-Dalal also demanded that the Israeli government proceed with negotiations with the Palestinian Resistance and reach an agreement that would secure their release.

"Military pressure will kill us all," he added.

"You initiated a deal, continue with it," David said.

Both captives then urged Israelis to protest until they were released.

The deal's framework states that no additional living Israeli captives will be released at this stage of the ceasefire agreement. Future releases are contingent on subsequent phases, which aim to establish conditions for a lasting ceasefire and an end to the war on Gaza—an outcome Netanyahu has been actively working to prevent.

Israeli media outlets reported that 63 Israelis remain in the Gaza Strip up to this point with at least 24 of them thought to be alive.

𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞

In response to Netanyahu's decision, the Palestinian Prisoners Club said that the delay amounts to "organized terrorism" enacted by Israeli authorities against Palestinian detainees.

This latest exchange round would have seen the liberation of 602 Palestinians including Nael al-Barghouti, the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner.

"The occupation has spared no tool in its relentless campaign of humiliation, abuse, and torture against prisoners and their families," the Palestinian organization underlined.

The club also pointed to countless instances where Israeli occupation forces raided the homes of freed prisoners and terrorized them and their families. It is also worth noting that Israeli authorities brutally stop any celebrations related to the release of prisoners.

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𝙄𝙨𝙧𝙖𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙬𝙖𝙥 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙮: 𝙃𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙨
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hamas-accuses--israel--of-violating-ceasefire-over-prisoner

The delay in releasing the latest group has increased tensions and raised questions about the future of the ceasefire.

Hamas has accused "Israel" of violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement by delaying the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, which were due to be freed on Saturday in exchange for six Israeli hostages.

In a statement, Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif Al-Qanou stated, "The (Israeli) occupation's failure to comply with the release of the seventh batch of prisoners in the exchange deal at the agreed-upon time constitutes a blatant violation of the agreement." He further accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "procrastination and stalling tactics".

The prisoner exchange is part of a ceasefire agreement intended to secure the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. However, the delay in releasing the latest batch has increased tensions and raised questions about the future of the ceasefire.

This accusation follows previous statements by Hamas that Netanyahu was delaying negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire, which began after the exchange of four deceased Israeli captives last Thursday that were killed by IOF bombings. According to Hamas, the second phase of the agreement has "not practically begun", despite their readiness to participate. Al-Qanou previously accused Netanyahu of "procrastination" and deliberately delaying progress.

'𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥'𝐬' 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

These statements come just days after "Israel" reportedly set strict conditions for the second phase of the ceasefire, including:

• Complete disarmament of Gaza, including the removal of all weaponry.
• Exclusion of Hamas from governance, aiming to neutralize Palestinian Resistance.
• Release of all Israeli captives in one exchange, without guarantees for Palestinian prisoners' rights.

These demands were reported by Israel's Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC), sparking criticism from Hamas and contributing to the political divisions within the Israeli leadership. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced that talks would begin this week, but conflicting reports later emerged on the matter.

𝐎𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Despite the ceasefire, tensions remain high as "Israel" continues airstrikes and military aggression in Gaza. Earlier this week, an Israeli drone strike targeted Palestinians in Rafah, killing at least one person and injuring several others.

Hamas remains firm in its stance, with senior official Taher al-Nunu stating that they are willing to release all remaining captives in a single exchange but warned against Israeli political games aimed at weakening Palestinian unity.