Desk:Israel has fought an intense war with Hamas over the past 18 months, resulting in nearly 46,000 deaths. A ceasefire is currently in place, but Israel has had to agree to a tough deal in exchange for its captives. Not only is it negotiating the release of prisoners, but it must also free hundreds of detainees in return for four bodies of its soldiers held by Hamas. This deal is set to take place just before the first round of the ceasefire officially ends.
Since Saturday, Israel has delayed the release of 600 Palestinian prisoners, stating that Hamas’ demands are excessively harsh. Meanwhile, Hamas claims that Israel’s delay is a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement. The militant group has warned that if the terms are not met, the second phase of the ceasefire will be in jeopardy.
Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif al-Qanou has stated that as soon as Israel releases the 600 prisoners, Hamas will return the four bodies the following day. Initially, Hamas had demanded the release of 30 of its prisoners for every one Israeli captive. Over time, its demands have become stricter, now insisting on the release of hundreds of prisoners in exchange for just four bodies.
Both Israel and Hamas confirmed on Tuesday that an agreement to return the four bodies had been reached, but no action has been taken yet. Hamas has previously staged large-scale public events whenever it has released Israeli prisoners, forcing them to acknowledge the crowds. This practice has made the deal humiliating for Israel.
Due to this, Israel has delayed the prisoner release and has raised concerns with the Red Cross and UN officials. It has described the public displays of prisoner releases as degrading. In response, Hamas has now assured that no public ceremonies will take place when handing over the four bodies. A Hamas official stated, “Israel only needs to release our prisoners. There will be no public event this time.”
Previously, Israel released 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 Israeli captives. This deal has been one of the toughest for Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Additionally, Hamas has promised to return eight bodies, out of which four remain pending.