Israel Delays Release of Palestinian Prisoners as Part of Deal with Hamas

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Israel Katz have ordered the suspension of the release of Palestinian prisoners. This was reported by the Prime Minister's office.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in conjunction with Defense Minister Israel Katz, has instructed to postpone the release of terrorists originally scheduled for today, until the safety of our hostages is guaranteed in the next phases. Israel demands that the mediators achieve this,” the statement said.

Earlier today, the Hamas movement released three Israeli hostages and five Thai citizens, who had been held in the Palestinian enclave since October 7, 2023. A crowd of Palestinians gathered at the location during the handover of the two Israelis to representatives of the Red Cross, with the hostages guided through the crowd.

Netanyahu has assessed the terms of the hostages' release as a threat to their safety. It was expected that as a result of today's exchange, Israel would free 110 Palestinian prisoners, including those sentenced to life for terrorism.