JERUSALEM: A Hamas official says Israel’s delay in the release of some 600 Palestinian prisoners is a “serious violation” of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and 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 Oct. 7, 2023, attack. But Israel delayed the release over the treatment of the captive s, who were paraded before crowds. In a written statement Tuesday, 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.”
Hamas says no more ceasefire talks until Israel frees prisoners
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