Israel delays the release of Palestinian prisoners, despite the return of six hostages

Israel delayed this Saturday the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, after the delivery by Hamas of six captive Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip By virtue of the truce agreement, whose first phase is approaching.

Saturday’s release It was the last of Live Israeli hostages planned in the first phase of the Alto El Fuego between Israel and the Islamist movement in Gazawhich must end on March 1.

As in the previous liberations, armed and hooded Islamist militiamen exhibited five hostages in a stage, before giving them to members of the International Red Cross Committee (CICCR).

Separately, the army announced the delivery to the ICRC, outside the cameras, of the sixth hostage, Hisham al Sayed, a 37 -year -old Israeli beduine captive in Gaza for a decade.

In total, four of the six hostages released on Saturday had been kidnapped during the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 in southern Israel, which triggered war in the Palestinian territory.

In return, 602 prisoners had to be released this Saturday by Israel, according to the Palestinian prison club.

But Israeli sources announced that these liberations had been delayed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “will keep a security consultation tonight,” an official source said.

Although the reason has not been pointed out, Netanyahu promised on Friday that Hamas would pay expensive for his “cruel violation” of the high fire, after having affirmed that one of the hostage bodies delivered the eve was not, as announced, that of the Israeli of Argentine origin Shiri Bibas.

Hostage drama symbol, this woman was kidnapped on October 7 with her two children, Ariel and Kfir, who had four years and eight months.

After the analysis of the remains of the two children, the Israeli army said that Islamist fighters killed the little “cold blood” and “with their own hands” in Gaza.

Hamas accused Israel on Saturday to utter “lies without foundation.”

The remains of Shiri Bibas, 32 when he was captured, were finally delivered on Friday night.

Netanyahu said Saturday that he will act “firmly” to bring all the hostages that remain captive in Gaza.

Smiling

This Saturday, in the south of the Gaza Strip, in the rain and surrounded by heavily armed combatants, such a 40 -year -old Shoham and kidnapped on October 7, he was forced to pronounce a few words.

Beside his side, Avera Mengistu, 38 years old in Palestinian territory for more than ten years, bent his head. The two men then rose in the ICRC vehicles before being delivered to Israel.

The same situation was repeated later in Nuseirat, in the center, for the liberation of Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and the Israel Nova music in southern Israel.

After 505 days of captivity, they appeared smiling while their escort made them greet the crowd.

The Hamas attack of October 7, resulted in the death of 1,215 people, according to a balance of the AFP based on official figures.

The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation killed at least 48,319 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Ministry of Health of the Palestinian territory, which the UN considers reliable.