Israel has indefinitely delayed the release of over 600 Palestinian prisoners, a decision that threatens to derail the fragile ceasefire process between Israel and Hamas. The move comes after six Israeli hostages were freed on Saturday, including four kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the prisoner release would be postponed until Hamas guarantees another hostage handover—without what he described as “degrading ceremonies” that the group has staged during previous releases. With only one more scheduled transfer in the first phase of the ceasefire, involving four hostages who died in captivity, no concrete plans exist for further exchanges.
Mediators are now scrambling to keep the ceasefire deal from collapsing entirely.
Netanyahu accused Hamas of “repeated violations” of the ceasefire agreement, particularly using hostages for “propaganda purposes.” His announcement came after the release of six hostages, including four men who had been taken from the Nova music festival in October.
Hamas quickly condemned Israel’s decision, calling it a violation of the agreement. Families of Palestinian prisoners, some of whom had gathered outside Ofer Prison in the West Bank expecting their relatives’ release, expressed outrage. Among them was an 80-year-old woman in Gaza’s Khan Younis, who had been waiting for her son’s release after 33 years in prison.
Palestinian authorities stated that the 600 prisoners set for release included 50 serving life sentences, 60 with long-term sentences, and 445 detained since October 7.
The six released hostages were handed over to the Red Cross in Rafah, Gaza, before being transferred to Israeli forces. Among them was Tal Shoham, 40, who had been visiting family in Kibbutz Be’eri when Hamas abducted him. His family, overjoyed by his return, called the moment “unforgettable.”
Two of the released hostages, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, had been held in Gaza for years—Mengistu since 2014 and al-Sayed since 2015. Their families said both men had suffered from mental health conditions.
Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, crowds cheered as they watched the releases unfold. But for families of those still held in Gaza, the celebrations were bittersweet.
Yael Alexander, whose son, Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander, remains captive, said watching the hostages return was “amazing” but also “very tough” for those still waiting.
“Our only request is to seize this window of opportunity to secure a deal that will… return all hostages home,” Shoham’s family urged.
The ceasefire agreement, which began on January 19, has allowed for some hostage-prisoner exchanges. However, no plans are yet in place for the second phase, set to begin on March 1, which is supposed to secure the release of additional hostages.
Saturday’s developments underscored the fragile nature of the ceasefire. While hostages returned to their families, Israel’s decision to halt the prisoner release may push the conflict back into uncertainty.
