Egypt Daily News – A statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the indefinite postponement of the scheduled release of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday. The statement said the decision was made “until the release of other Israeli hostages is guaranteed and without humiliating ceremonies.”
The statement cited “repeated violations by Hamas, including ceremonies that undermine the dignity of the hostages and their exploitative political use for propaganda purposes.”
In response, Hamas condemned Israel’s decision to delay the release of Palestinian detainees, accusing Israel of reneging on its commitments.
Ezzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, stated: “The occupation’s claim that the handover ceremonies are humiliating is a false pretext and an excuse to evade its commitments. These ceremonies do not include any humiliation of the prisoners; rather, they reflect humane and dignified treatment.”
He added: “The real humiliation is what our prisoners endure during the release process—torture, beatings, and deliberate humiliation until the very last moments. Palestinian prisoners are released with their hands shackled and their eyes blindfolded, while their families are threatened against holding any celebrations to welcome their freed loved ones.”
Al-Rishq called on mediators and the international community “to take responsibility and pressure the occupation to implement the agreement and release the prisoners without any delays.”
On Saturday morning, Hamas handed over six Israeli hostages to the Red Cross as part of the seventh and final batch of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which came into effect on January 19.
Hamas released the Israeli hostages in three stages. Early Saturday, two hostages were freed, including Avera Mengistu, an Ethiopian-Israeli who had been held by Hamas since 2014 after crossing into Gaza. The handover ceremony for these two hostages took place in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Later, Hamas released three more hostages in the Nuseirat area in central Gaza, in a ceremony where the hostages were seen stepping onto a platform holding certificates handed to them by Hamas.
As for the sixth hostage, Hisham al-Sayed, a Bedouin from the Negev, a Hamas official told the BBC that the al-Qassam Brigades decided to release him without a ceremony “out of respect for Palestinian citizens of Israel.”
The Israeli army stated in a post on X that al-Sayed was airlifted with his family members to a hospital. In an earlier statement, the army noted that Hamas “chose not to hold a ceremony for hostage Hisham al-Sayed out of respect for the Bedouin-Israeli community.”
According to Israel’s i24 news channel, al-Sayed had “illegally crossed” into Gaza five times in the past. He was previously returned to Israel as part of prisoner exchange deals with Hamas in 2010 and 2013, before being detained again in 2015 after another crossing into Gaza.
Al-Sayed’s family, as reported by the Israeli channel, stated that the 36-year-old suffers from schizophrenia.
Joy and Heartbreak
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced the indefinite postponement of the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, which was scheduled for Saturday. The statement clarified that the delay would remain in effect “until ensuring the release of other Israeli hostages and without humiliating ceremonies.”
The statement accused Hamas of “repeated violations, including ceremonies that humiliate the dignity of the hostages and their use for political propaganda purposes.”
In response, Hamas condemned Israel’s decision, stating that it “once again exposes the occupation’s evasiveness and failure to honor its commitments.”
Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said:
“The occupation’s claim that the handover ceremonies are humiliating is a false pretext and a flimsy excuse aimed at evading its obligations. These ceremonies do not include any humiliation of the prisoners but rather reflect a dignified and humane treatment of them.”
He added:
“The real humiliation is what our prisoners are subjected to during the release process—beatings, torture, and deliberate humiliation until the last moments. Palestinian prisoners are released with their hands shackled, eyes blindfolded, and their families threatened against holding any celebrations to welcome their freed sons.”
Al-Rishq called on international mediators and the global community “to take responsibility and pressure the occupation to implement the agreement and release the prisoners without any further delays.”
Hostage Release and the Controversy Over Ceremonies
On Saturday morning, Hamas handed over six Israeli hostages to the Red Cross as part of the seventh and final batch of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which took effect on January 19.
Hamas released the hostages in three groups. Two were released in the morning, including Avera Mengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopian origin who had been held by Hamas since 2014 after crossing into Gaza. They were handed over to the Red Cross in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Later, Hamas released three more hostages in the Nuseirat area, central Gaza, in a ceremony where the hostages were seen holding certificates given to them by Hamas.
The sixth hostage, Hisham al-Sayed, a Bedouin from the Negev, was released without a ceremony. A Hamas official told the BBC that the Al-Qassam Brigades decided to release him “out of respect for Palestinian citizens of Israel.”
The Israeli army stated on social media that al-Sayed was transferred by helicopter, along with his family members, to a hospital. A previous military statement noted that Hamas “chose not to hold a ceremony for Hisham al-Sayed out of respect for the Bedouin-Israeli community.”
According to Israeli media outlet I24, al-Sayed had “infiltrated” Gaza five times previously and was returned to Israel as part of prisoner exchange deals with Hamas in 2010 and 2013 before being captured again in 2015 after another crossing into Gaza.
His family has stated that the 36-year-old suffers from schizophrenia, according to the Israeli channel.
A Moment of Joy and Grief
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the return of the six hostages as a “moment of joy,” despite Israel being “heartbroken” over what he called the “brutal murder” of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her two children.
In a statement, Netanyahu said:
“After our firm insistence and explicit demand for Shiri’s immediate return, we managed to bring her back last night for burial in Israel.” He vowed: “We will never forget, and we will never forgive.”
Hamas had previously stated that Shiri and her two children were killed in an Israeli airstrike in November 2023. The BBC could not independently verify this claim. Meanwhile, the director of the Israeli Institute of Forensic Medicine, Chen Kugel, stated on Saturday evening that forensic examinations “did not reveal any evidence of injuries caused by bombing.”
This comes after Netanyahu accused Hamas on Friday of committing “horrific murders,” while the Israeli army claimed that Hamas killed the two children “with their bare hands” while holding them captive in Gaza.
Hamas responded in a statement on Friday, rejecting the Israeli military’s accusations as “lies” and a “desperate attempt to evade responsibility for its own crimes against the family.”
The Postponed Release of 600 Palestinian Prisoners
Israel had been expected to release more than 600 Palestinian detainees before announcing the delay on Saturday evening.
The Palestinian Prisoners Club stated that among those set for release were 50 prisoners serving life sentences. Additionally, 108 of the detainees were to be deported outside Palestinian territories.
According to the Palestinian Detainees Media Office, 41 of the prisoners scheduled for release had previously been re-arrested after the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal, while 445 had been detained from Gaza following the events of October 7.
One of the most prominent figures expected to be released was Nael Barghouti, known as the “Dean of Palestinian Prisoners.” Barghouti has served 45 years in Israeli prisons, making him the longest-held Palestinian prisoner, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Authority. He was first arrested in 1978 for allegedly attacking the Israeli army.
Sources from Barghouti’s family in the village of Kobar, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, stated that he contacted them from Ketziot Prison in the Negev on Tuesday and informed them that he would be released in the seventh batch of the exchange deal between Israel and Hamas.
Israel “Continues to Stall” in Implementing the Terms
With Netanyahu’s announcement of postponing the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, attention is now focused on the fate of the seventh batch of prisoners, which was supposed to be the last group released as part of the exchange deal for living Israeli hostages in return for prisoners and detainees during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. This phase is set to conclude entirely after Hamas hands over four bodies of Israelis on Thursday.
The second phase is scheduled to begin on March 2, which would mark the end of the war in the Gaza Strip. Following that, the third and final phase would commence, focusing on the reconstruction of the territory.
By the end of the first phase, Hamas will have released 33 Israeli hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for Israel releasing 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement and its readiness for the second phase, accusing Israel of “continuing to stall in implementing its terms.”
The statement warned Israel against attempting to “evade” the agreement, emphasizing that Israel has two choices: “Either they receive their captives in coffins, as happened on Thursday due to Netanyahu’s arrogance, or they embrace their captives alive by adhering to the resistance’s conditions,” according to the statement.
Abdul Latif Al-Qanou, Hamas spokesman, stated that “the resistance remains committed to completing the exchange process and ensuring that Israel fulfills the remaining terms of the agreement, as well as implementing the humanitarian protocol.”
Hamas also pointed out that “the situation in Gaza is catastrophic, requiring mediators to pressure the occupation into implementing the humanitarian protocol, providing shelter and relief supplies for our people. We reaffirm our readiness to carry out a broad and complete exchange process in one go, based on a permanent end to the war, Israel’s withdrawal, and the reconstruction of Gaza,” the statement concluded.
