Israel delays release of Palestinian prisoners after ‘degrading ceremonies’
The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office came early on Sunday as vehicles carrying prisoners left the open gates of Ofer prison.
Israel says the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners is delayed “until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies” at handovers of Israeli captives in Gaza.
The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office came early on Sunday as vehicles carrying prisoners left the open gates of Ofer prison, only to turn around and go back in.
Five of the six hostages freed on Saturday were escorted by masked, armed militants in front of a crowd — a display that the UN and others have criticised as cruel after previous handovers.
The Israeli statement cited “ceremonies that demean the dignity of our hostages and the cynical use of the hostages for propaganda purposes”.
Hamas had released the last six living hostages expected under the ceasefire’s first phase, with a week remaining in the initial stage.
Israel’s announcement abruptly put the future of the truce into further doubt.
The released captives included three Israeli men seized from the Nova music festival and another taken while visiting family in southern Israel during the Hamas-led attack on October 7 2023 that triggered the 16-month war in Gaza.
The two others were held for a decade after entering Gaza on their own.
Five were handed over in staged ceremonies that the Red Cross and Israel have condemned as cruel and disrespectful.
A beaming Shem Tov, acting under duress, kissed two militants on the head and blew kisses to the crowd. They wore fake army uniforms, though they were not soldiers when abducted.
Mr Cohen’s family and friends in Israel chanted “Eliya! Eliya! Eliya!” and cheered.
“You’re heroes,” Shem Tov told his parents as they later embraced, laughing and crying. “You have no idea how much I dreamt of you.”
His father, Malki Shem Tov, told public broadcaster Kan his son was held alone after the first 50 days and lost 37lbs.
Earlier on Saturday, Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 38, were freed. Mengistu, an Ethiopian-Israeli, entered Gaza in 2014.
His family told Israeli media he has struggled with mental health issues.
The Israeli-Austrian Mr Shoham was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri.
His wife and two children were freed in a 2023 exchange.
Later, Israel’s military said Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, was released. The Bedouin Israeli entered Gaza in 2015.
His family has told Israeli media he was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Israel’s government did not respond to questions about the delay in releasing prisoners. Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal, with spokesperson Abdel Latif Al-Qanou accusing Mr Netanyahu of “deliberately stalling”.
The hostage release followed a heartrending dispute when Hamas on Thursday handed over the wrong body for Shiri Bibas, an Israeli mother abducted with her two young boys.
Mr Netanyahu vowed revenge over “a cruel and malicious violation”.
Hamas suggested it had simply been a mistake.
Israeli forensic authorities confirmed that a body handed over on Friday was Ms Bibas.
Dr Chen Kugel, head of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, said they found no evidence Ms Bibas and her children were killed in an Israeli air strike, as Hamas has claimed.
Dr Kugel did not give a cause of death.
Hamas denied the Israeli military claim, based on forensic evidence and unspecified “intelligence”, that its militants killed the children “with their bare hands”, calling it a lie aimed at justifying Israeli military actions against civilians in Gaza.
