Israel indefinitely delays Palestinian prisoner return after hostages ‘humiliated'
Israel has delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners indefinitely, in response to 'humiliating' ceremonies choreographed by Hamas as it returns Israeli hostages.
Israel was expected to free 620 Palestinians, including 50 serving life sentences, but they remained behind bars.
On Saturday, vehicles apparently carrying prisoners left the open gates of Ofer prison, only to turn around and go back in, hours after another cruel handover by the terror group.
Benjamin Netanyahu's office said: '[Because of] repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies.'
Ezzat El Rashq, a Hamas official, said the Israeli prime minister's statement was a 'deliberate attempt to disrupt the agreement, represents a clear violation of its terms, and shows the occupation's lack of reliability in implementing its obligations'.
Abdul Latif al-Qanou, another Hamas spokesman, told Al Araby, the Qatari TV channel, that there were 'positive signs' the prisoners would be released soon, and called on mediators to act 'immediately' to free them.
Qanou also said that Hamas will be ready to move to phase two of the ceasefire and release all hostages when 'the attack is completely stopped, Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip in full and the reconstruction process begins'.
The Telegraph understands that negotiations over phase two have begun, but that Israel wants to expand the first phase and have more hostages released.
Saturday's hostage handover was met with fury in Israel, in part because Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert and Eliya Cohen looked pale and emaciated.
Mr Shem Tov was seen waving, smiling and kissing the forehead of an armed Hamas member on a stage, a moment orchestrated and filmed by the terror group for its propaganda.
Mr Shem Tov's father later said: 'Omer said they told him what to do. You can see in the footage that someone came up to him and told him what to do.'
Abera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, the other two hostages released on Saturday, had spent more than 10 years in captivity and were both suffering from mental illnesses.
Mr Sayed, an Israeli Bedouin, was the only hostage returned from Gaza in this round of the ceasefire who was not humiliated and put on a stage in front of a large crowd.
Mr Sayed's father, Sha'ban al-Sayed, said on Sunday that his son was not well.
He told Walla, the Israeli news site: 'He is broken and may have been held alone. It is strange for him to see people. He does not speak…'
Mr Sayed senior told Channel 12 news: 'He is not well. He was not in our world. A kind of Tarzan after living for 10 years with animals. He does not communicate.'
Hamas also brought two hostages, Eviatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, to watch their fellow captives being freed in Gaza on Saturday, filming them inside a car where they were heard pleading to be released themselves.
Mr Gilboa-Dalal's father, Ilan Dalal, said on Sunday: 'They forced them to watch their friends being released and then returned them to the tunnels. There is no greater cruelty. They can't continue. It's simply inhumane.'
Donald Trump also slammed Hamas for the way it treated the Israeli hostages.
The US president said: 'We had the hostages given back today, it's disgraceful what's going on there. They're not in great shape, but we've also seen them in worse shape. What a terrible situation it is.'
The bodies of hostages Itzik Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, Tsahi Idan, and Shlomo Mantzur are expected to be returned next week in accordance with the ceasefire deal.
Meanwhile, Israel Katz, Israel's defence minister, said on Sunday that he has instructed the military to prepare to remain in some of the occupied West Bank's urban refugee camps 'for the coming year'.
The Israeli military said it was expanding the raid in the West Bank to other areas and was sending tanks to Jenin, a militant stronghold.
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