Hamas: Netanyahu tampering with fate of Israeli captives

A senior official of Hamas says the Palestinian resistance movement has issued a stern warning to the Israeli prime minister over postponing the Gaza prisoner exchange deal.

Abu Zuhri said on Sunday that Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel was tampering with the fate of Israeli captives.

His remarks came after Netanyahu announced the postponement of the exchange deal, claiming that Hamas treated Israeli captives held in Gaza in an insulting manner.

Rejecting his false claim, the Hamas official said Israeli captives are treated with respect.

Abu Zuhri said an Israeli captive kissing the head of the resistance fighters was a practical response to Netanyahu’s lies.

He said what the resistance does when handing over the captives is by no means offensive or insulting.

The Hamas leader noted that the movement is not weak and has not been defeated.

 He stressed that Israel cannot dictate its conditions on Hamas and by delaying the exchange.

He added that Netanyahu is not only tampering with the agreement but also with the fate of the captives.

In a statement on Sunday, Hamas political bureau member Izzat Al-Rishq said Hamas strongly condemns the occupying regime’s decision to delay the release of the abductees.

“This decision once again exposes the occupation’s evasions and its renouncement of its commitments,” he said.

Al-Rishq argued that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision reflects a deliberate attempt to obstruct the agreement, constitutes a clear violation of its terms, and demonstrates the regime’s unreliability in fulfilling its commitments.

The negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime are due to end on March 1.

After failing to achieve any of its war objectives in Gaza, Israel was forced to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas which went into effect on January 19. 

The six-week first phase saw the release of Israeli captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian abductees, the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and delivery of aid into the territory devastated by the 15 months of relentless Israeli bombardment.

The second phase, if finalized, would see the release of all the Israeli captives and a permanent ceasefire.

Israel delays release of Palestinian prisoners after Hamas handed over captives

Reports say Israel postponed the release of hundreds of Palestinian abductees after Hamas released six captives on Saturday.

Basem Naim, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau, stated that this is not the first time that the regime has tried to undermine the agreement.

Earlier this month, Israeli authorities confirmed to The New York Times that Hamas’s reports about the regime’s violations of the deal were accurate. But Netanyahu’s cabinet officially denied them.

Netanyahu has threatened to resume the war on Gaza and has said he is “committed” to Trump’s proposal to “take over” the Strip and displace its Palestinian residents.

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