International

Israel Holds Back Palestinian Prisoners After Hamas Propaganda Video

Published

2 months ago

Feb 23, 2025.

Dennis

Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release, citing Hamas’s “violations” of the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas releases six Israeli hostages, including three taken from the Nova music festival.
Tensions rise over propaganda video, as Israel condemns Hamas for using captives in staged public displays.

Israel has postponed the expected release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange for Israeli hostages, the Palestinian Prisoners Society confirmed early Sunday.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office cited the need for further security reviews and demanded assurances that future hostage releases would occur without what it described as “humiliating ceremonies.”

On Saturday, Hamas released six Israeli hostages from Gaza in both public ceremonies and a private transfer, marking the final return of live hostages in the first phase of a ceasefire deal initiated last month. The next phase is set to include the release of the remains of four more hostages on Thursday.

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In return for Saturday’s release, Israel had been expected to free 620 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 23 children and one woman. However, Israeli officials delayed the move, citing security concerns.

Hamas accused Israel of breaching the truce with the postponement, adding to uncertainty surrounding the fragile ceasefire agreement. The delay, announced in the early hours of Sunday local time, was attributed to Hamas’s “repeated violations” of the agreement, according to the Prime Minister’s Office, including using hostages in propaganda videos.

A recent Hamas-released video showed two Israeli captives watching the hostage release ceremony from a vehicle, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure their release. The Hostages and Missing Families’ Forum identified them as Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa Dalal and suggested they were speaking under duress. The men’s families authorized media use of the footage, describing it as a “sickening Hamas video.”

Hamas and allied groups continue to hold 63 Israeli hostages in Gaza, with at least 32 believed to be dead, according to Israeli authorities. Among them is soldier Hadar Goldin, who has been held since 2014.

The first two hostages released on Saturday, Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu, were handed over to Red Cross officials in Rafah. Shoham had been abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri during Hamas’s October 7 attack, alongside his family, who were freed last month. Mengistu, an Israeli from Ashkelon, entered Gaza in 2014.