Palestinian group Hamas will postpone talks with Israel through mediators if Israel does not release 620 Palestinian prisoners scheduled for release in exchange for six Israeli hostages handed over yesterday, Hamas spokesman Mahmoud Mardawi said.
Hamas halts ceasefire talks until 620 Palestinians freed by Israel
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that the release of some 600 Palestinian prisoners had been postponed due to “humiliating ceremonies” for the transfer of hostages to Israel organised by Hamas.
A Hamas spokesman called on mediators to pressure Israel to honour the provisions of the ceasefire agreement. Israel’s statement suddenly put the future of the truce in great doubt.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said he would accept any Israeli decision to continue the second phase of the Gaza hostage deal or to resume the war in the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) press office said the level of combat and operational readiness in the border areas with the Gaza Strip has been raised. The level of activity will change from partial to full after Netanyahu announced readiness for the resumption of intense fighting, for which operational plans are already in place.
EU and Israel to discuss Gaza’s future
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will meet with senior European officials in Brussels on Monday to resume dialogue with the European Union.
The talks will focus on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli-Palestinian relations and the changing regional dynamics. Ahead of the meeting, the bloc’s 27 member states agreed on a compromise position in which areas of co-operation with Israel are both welcomed and feared.
According to the draft document, at the meeting the EU will emphasise both Europe’s commitment to Israel’s security and its view that “displaced Gazans must be allowed to return to their homes in the Gaza Strip in safety and dignity.”
Earlier, Hamas handed over six hostages to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The IDF noted that Israeli army commanders and soldiers welcomed and embraced the returning hostages.
