Latest news with #Benjamin'Netanyahu
Arab News
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Hamas says Israel's claim on hostages' handover ceremony is pretext to evade Gaza truce obligations
DUBAI: Hamas on Sunday condemned Israel's decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, saying its claim that the hostages' handover ceremonies are 'humiliating' was false and a pretext to evade Israel's obligations under the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 'Netanyahu's decision reflects 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,' Ezzat El Rashq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said in a statement. Israel said earlier it was delaying the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners it had planned to free the day before until Hamas met its conditions, underscoring the fragility of the Gaza ceasefire accord. Netanyahu's office released a statement in the early hours of Sunday saying that Israel was waiting to deliver the 620 Palestinian prisoners and detainees 'until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies.' Hamas' El Rashq said the ceremonies do not include any insult to the hostages, 'but rather reflect the humane and dignified treatment of them,' adding that the 'real insult' is what the Palestinian prisoners are subjected to during the release process. The Palestinian militant group official cited the hands' tying of the Palestinian prisoners and detainees and their blindfolding and threatening them not to hold any celebrations for their release as examples of their humiliation at the hands of Israeli authorities. Hamas has made hostages appear on stage in front of crowds and sometimes speak before they were handed over. Coffins with hostage remains have also been carried through crowds. Israel's announcement, which also accused Hamas of repeatedly violating the month-old ceasefire, came after the Palestinian militant group on Saturday handed over six hostages from Gaza as part of an exchange arranged under the truce. The six hostages freed on Saturday were the last living Israeli captives due to be handed over during the first phase of the ceasefire. The bodies of four dead Israeli hostages were to be released next week.
Al Jazeera
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Blatant violation': Hamas slams Israel as release of Palestinians delayed
Hamas has condemned Israel's decision to postpone the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners, saying its claim that the captives' handover ceremonies are 'humiliating' was false and a pretext to evade Israel's obligations under the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 'Netanyahu's decision reflects a deliberate attempt to disrupt the agreement, represents a blatant violation of its terms, and shows the occupation's lack of reliability in implementing its obligations,' Ezzat El Rashq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said in a statement on Sunday. Israel delayed the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners scheduled to be released on Saturday after Hamas upheld its side of the ceasefire deal by releasing six Israeli captives from Gaza, the last group of living captives to be freed under the ceasefire's first phase. Netanyahu earlier on Sunday said freeing Palestinians would be delayed until Hamas ends its 'humiliating ceremonies' while releasing Israeli captives, issuing a new demand not spelt out in the ceasefire agreement. 'In light of Hamas' repeated violations – including the disgraceful ceremonies that dishonour our hostages and the cynical use of hostages for propaganda – it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday [Saturday] until the release of the next hostages is ensured, without the humiliating ceremonies,' Netanyahu's office said in a statement. Hamas accused Netanyahu of playing 'dirty games to sabotage and undermine' the deal. 'The prisoner handover ceremony does not include any insult to them, but rather reflects the noble humane treatment of them', Hamas said, referring to the staging of the captives' release, as it called on mediating nations to ensure Israel sticks to the terms of the deal. Since the ceasefire came into effect on January 19, Hamas has released 25 Israeli captives in high-profile handovers, with masked fighters parading the captives on stage. The ceasefire deal does not categorically define how Hamas and Israel should release the Israeli captives and the Palestinian prisoners. 'Netanyahu is always stalling' Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, Jordan, said Israel's decision to delay the release of the Palestinian prisoners was issued by Netanyahu against the recommendation of Israel's security establishment. 'There are a lot of questions and a lot of dashed hopes, as well as a lot of work for the mediators, who have been working for the release of the Palestinian prisoners and Israeli captives,' Odeh said. In Gaza and the occupied West Bank, Palestinian families waited for hours on Saturday for their loved ones to be released from Israeli prisons. The Palestinian Prisoner's Society advocacy group said Israel would free 620 inmates, most of them from Gaza who were taken into custody during the war. 'We have been sitting in our chairs waiting for many hours, but after many hours, nothing. But what else can we do?' Khaled Khalil al-Jabarin, uncle of a detainee, told Al Jazeera. Shireen al-Hamamreh, sister of another Palestinian prisoner, told Al Jazeera it was a 'very difficult' wait. 'We wait for them, to hug them, and see them, but Netanyahu is always stalling,' said Fatiha Abu Abdullah, a mother in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. 'God willing, they will be released soon.'
Arab News
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Efforts ongoing to release more Gaza hostages this week: Israeli, Palestinian sources
A Palestinian source said 'a proposal was presented by the mediators in recent days' for Gaza militants 'to deliver the bodies of several Israeli prisoners before Friday''The mediators are continuing their efforts as they aim for this step to create a positive atmosphere'JERUSALEM: Efforts were underway to secure the release this week of all remaining living hostages eligible to be freed from Gaza under the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, an Israeli official source said the 33 hostages set to be freed under phase one of the deal, 19 have already been released and Israel says eight are dead. That leaves just six living hostages slated for release in the current Prime Minister Benjamin 'Netanyahu is making tremendous efforts to release all six remaining living hostages' this week, and to secure the bodies of four others, the Israeli official source told AFP.A Palestinian source close to the negotiations said that 'a proposal was presented by the mediators in recent days' for Gaza militants 'to deliver the bodies of several Israeli prisoners before Friday, and to increase the number' of living captives to be released during the seventh hostage-prisoner swap on Saturday.'The mediators are continuing their efforts as they aim for this step to create a positive atmosphere, insisting on the continuation of the ceasefire and the implementation of the agreement,' the Palestinian source fragile truce took effect on January 19 after more than 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Palestinian militant group's October 7, 2023 attack on the first phase of the ceasefire began, 19 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian Minister Gideon Saar said Tuesday that Israel would begin negotiations 'this week' on the second phase of the truce, which aims to lay out a more permanent end to the war.
