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Israel's decision to delay the release of Palestinian detainees could be part of a plan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hinder the progress of the first, six-week phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, sources told The National on Sunday.
Israel said it was delaying the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees it was supposed to free due to “humiliating” ceremonies held by Hamas during its release of hostages, underscoring the fragility of the Gaza ceasefire accord. Hamas called it a “deliberate attempt to disrupt” the ceasefire agreement.
The sources said Israel was probably using the delay to coerce Hamas into releasing more hostages than the 33 agreed on under the deal's first phase. Israel, they added, had already informed the US it had no intention to withdraw from the narrow strip of land that runs the entire length of the Egypt-Gaza border on the Palestinian side.
Under the terms of the deal, negotiations on the second phase of the deal – which were supposed to start earlier this month – would produce an agreement on a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire. However, Israel has repeatedly made clear that it seeks to retain an open-ended security role in Gaza, create security zones in the north and east of the territory as well as a complete dismantlement of Hamas's military and governance capabilities.
“Israel no longer wants a second phase. It wants to see the first phase extended on the same terms with the remaining hostages released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners,” said one of the sources. Hamas has repeatedly aired fears that Israel will resume military operations in Gaza after all the hostages are released.
Israel was supposed to release more than 600 Palestinian detainees as part of the seventh detainee-hostage swap. The Palestinian militant group called the delay a “blatant violation” of the truce deal.
“Netanyahu's decision reflects a deliberate attempt to disrupt the agreement, represents a clear violation of its terms and shows the occupation's lack of reliability in implementing its obligations,” the group said.
Mr Netanyahu's office early on Sunday said that Israel was waiting to deliver the 620 Palestinian detainees “until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies”.
“The [Israeli claim that the handover ceremony is humiliating is a false claim and a flimsy pretext aimed at evading the obligations of the agreement,” Hamas said.
“These ceremonies do not include any humiliation of the hostages, but rather reflect the humane and dignified treatment of them,” it said.
Hamas called on the mediators and the international community to assume their responsibilities and pressure Israel to implement the agreement and release the prisoners without any delay.
UN officials have said that recent hostage handovers by Hamas went against international law because they were not respectful. Hamas has made hostages appear on stage in front of crowds and sometimes speak before they were handed over. One of the six hostages, Omer Shem Tov, appeared kissing the foreheads of two of the Hamas fighters he was on stage with, and blew kisses to the crowd.
The six hostages freed on Saturday were the last living Israeli captives due to be handed over during the first phase of the ceasefire. The bodies of four dead Israeli hostages were to be released next week.
After the six hostages arrived back in Israel, Hamas released a video in which two other hostages, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, were seen watching one of the handovers earlier on Saturday.
Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif Al Qanou earlier accused Israel of violating the ceasefire as the Saturday passed without the release of Palestinians as planned.
Israel and Hamas have frequently accused each other of violations since the ceasefire started on January 19 but it has so far continued to hold. Hamas at one stage said it would stop handing over hostages because of alleged Israeli breaches.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, families had waited for hours on Saturday for their loved ones to be released from Israeli custody in exchange for the six Israelis returned home.
