Israel has delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian captives, despite the recent handover of six Israeli captives by Hamas on Saturday. The move is a major setback in the ongoing ceasefire agreement, already fraught with tension, and has cast further uncertainty on the future of the truce.
In a statement issued early Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the delay, which occurred just hours after six Israeli hostages were freed under the terms of the ceasefire.
The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners had been scheduled as part of a broader prisoner exchange agreed to in the first phase of the ceasefire. This would have been the largest one-day release under the truce so far. However, the release was postponed “until further notice,” according to a statement from the Palestinian Authority’s Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs.
The delay came as a disappointment to families who had gathered in the West Bank city of Ramallah to welcome their loved ones. With temperatures hovering near freezing, relatives waited for hours in the cold, only to face the heartbreak of a sudden postponement. One family member, Bader Abu Alia, expressed the emotional toll of the delay, describing the wait as unbearable. “Every minute feels like an hour or a day,” he said.
The handover of the six Israeli captives in Gaza was met with controversy. While some were escorted by armed militants in front of a crowd, one of the hostages, Hisham Al-Sayed, a 36-year-old Arab Israeli, was quietly released to the Red Cross without a public ceremony. Hamas defended the handover events, calling them a demonstration of Palestinian unity.
For Israel, however, the events surrounding the handover of its citizens raised concerns. A statement from Netanyahu’s office criticized Hamas for using hostages for propaganda purposes, pointing to videos showing two Israelis watching the exchange under duress. Hamas rejected this characterization, calling the handover “solemn.”
The six Israeli captives were among the last group expected to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire. Talks for the second phase, which would involve the release of more hostages, have not yet begun. Meanwhile, the six Israeli hostages freed on Saturday included individuals who were abducted during the October 2023 attacks at a music festival, as well as others taken while visiting family in southern Israel.
As tensions mount over the delay, both Israel and Hamas remain at an impasse regarding the next phase of the ceasefire. While Hamas has demanded a lasting ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza before any further captives are released, Israeli officials insist on the destruction of Hamas’ military infrastructure and governance in the region.
This latest development casts doubt on the continuation of the truce. With hundreds of Palestinian captives scheduled to be freed, including men, women, and children held without charge, the fragile ceasefire remains at risk. The conflict, which has claimed the lives of over 48,000 Palestinians, continues to strain relations between the two sides.
