Hamas suggests no more ceasefire talks until Israel frees prisoners
Israel delayed the release over the treatment of Israeli hostages, who were paraded before crowds.
A Hamas official said Israel’s delay in the release of some 600 Palestinian prisoners constitutes a “serious violation” of the ceasefire agreement, and suggested that talks on a second phase of the accord are not possible until they are returned.
As part of the agreement, Israel was supposed to release the prisoners last weekend after Hamas freed hostages from its October 7 2023 attack. But Israel delayed the release over the treatment of the captives, who were paraded before crowds.
In a written statement, Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said the militant group had “fully adhered to all provisions of the agreements” and that Israel’s delay “puts the agreement at risk of collapse, potentially leading to a resumption of war”.
The first phase of the ceasefire is due to end Saturday, and while negotiations on a second phase were to have started weeks ago, they have not yet begun.
A US diplomat is returning to the region this week with the hope of extending the first phase to buy time for further negotiations, but Mr Naim suggested Hamas was unwilling to talk until the prisoners were released.
On Tuesday thousands of Israelis stood silently with flags along the 100-km funeral procession for one of the four Israeli hostages whose bodies were returned last week from Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement.
Oded Lifshitz, 84, was one of the oldest hostages held by Hamas. He was laid to rest in Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel, where he lived and was captured on October 7 2023.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who attended the funeral, asked for “forgiveness, that the State of Israel did not protect you, your family, and your kibbutz”.
The Israeli military did not release information about how Mr Lifshitz was killed but said an autopsy determined he died around November 2023.
