Israel-Hamas ceasefire: Netanyahu delays prisoner release after 6 hostages freed

The release of the more than 600 prisoners and detainees set to be freed today as part of Israel's ceasefire agreement with Hamas has been delayed, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu cited "Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes" in announcing the delay.

He said the release was delayed "until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies."

The decision marks a violation of the ongoing agreement. Earlier today, Hamas released six hostages as part of the deal.

It’s not clear what Israel’s decision means for the future of the deal.

The release of the Palestinian prisoners — the largest group to be freed under the ceasefire agreement — was part of the final prisoner and hostage exchange of the first stage of the ceasefire deal. It would have included 445 prisoners who were not sentenced to time in prison, as well as 24 women and children.

Earlier today, the Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate in the Israeli-occupied West Bank said the release of the prisoners had been postponed until 8 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET), but it did not take place.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club called Israel's decision to delay the release of over 600 Palestinian prisoners a form of "organized terrorism against the prisoners and their families."

The organization accused Israel of abusing the prisoners and threatening their family members with arrest and death.

"The prison system continues to torture the prisoners, and all the occupation agencies continue to threaten the prisoners and their families, which is an extension of a policy that it has used over many years, but it has clearly escalated during the recent liberation operations," the organization said in a statement.

Israel has not provided an explanation as to why it is delaying the release of the Palestinian prisoners, which was part of the final prisoner and hostage exchange of the first stage of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country will fully rehabilitate former hostage Hisham al-Sayed, an Israeli Palestinian Bedouin hostage who was released by Hamas today following over a decade in Gaza.

Al-Sayed, a Palestinian Bedouin citizen of Israel, was kidnapped after crossing the border into Gaza in 2014.

In conversation with his father, Shaaban al-Sayed, Netanyahu expressed regret that it had taken this long to get him out of Gaza, and said al-Sayed will be provided with medical treatment and fully rehabilitated.

Earlier today, Al-Sayed was transferred to the custody of the Israel Defense Forces separately from the other hostages, without the ceremony that other hostages had been given before their release.

Hamas’ military wing, Al-Qassam, told NBC this was “out of respect for his family and the Palestinians of 1948," referring to the mass displacement of Palestinians from their homes as a result of the increase of Jewish immigration and resulting conflict, per the United Nations.

Six Israeli hostages released by Hamas today were reunited with their loved ones.

Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert and Eliya Cohen were kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks and among six hostages released in the final exchange of the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

Ethiopian-Israeli Avera Mengistu and Israeli Palestinian Bedouin Hisham al-Sayed were also freed after being held in Gaza for over a decade.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum is calling upon the Israeli public to gather at Hostages Square tonight to demand the return of the 63 remaining hostages, according to a statement released by the group.

This comes after Hamas released six Israeli hostages today: Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu, Hisham al-Sayed, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert. So far, 192 Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas, including 147 who are alive and 45 who are dead, per Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The entire nation watched today as Omer, Tal, Eliya, Omer, Hisham, and Avera were returned — their lives saved thanks to the agreement," the organization said in the statement. "There are still 63 hostages waiting for us to save them! We won't stop until we see all hostages return — the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for proper burial."

In a statement, Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif Al-Qanou called Israel's delay of the release of Palestinian prisoners "a flagrant violation of the agreement" between the group and the country.

The release of the over 600 prisoners was initially expected to happen earlier today, in exchange for the release of six Israeli hostages — which were released earlier as planned.

"While Hamas responded to the efforts of mediator to make the exchange process a success, war criminal Netanyahu continues to procrastinate and delay the release of prisoners," Al-Qanou said in the statement released this evening.

The group is calling on the mediators of the agreement to put pressure on Israel "to respect the ceasefire agreement and implement its provisions without procrastination and delay."

Hisham al-Sayed was the sixth and final hostage to be released by Hamas today.

Al-Sayed was transferred to the custody of the Israel Defense Forces separately from the other hostages, without the ceremony that other hostages were given before their release. Hamas' military wing Al Qassam told NBC this was "out of respect for his family and the Palestinians of 1948."

Al-Sayed, a Palestinian Bedouin citizen of Israel, was kidnapped after crossing the border into Gaza in 2014.

Avera Mengistu was reunited with his family in Israel following his release by Hamas today.

Mengistu was taken by helicopter to the hospital with his family.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement this evening that the return of six Israeli hostages today "is a moment of joy and relief for their families and for the entire people of Israel."

"Our hearts are bursting with excitement and we embrace the families," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu added that the body of Shiri Bibas was returned "to the grave of Israel tonight."

"The heart of the nation is broken by the abduction and brutal murder of Shiri and her children Ariel and Kfir."

A total of 192 hostages have now been returned to Israel, Netanyahu said in the statement, adding that 147 were alive and 45 dead.

"Hamas remains in possession of 63 abductees," he said. "The Israeli government is committed to continuing to work resolutely to return all of our abductees home — the living to their families and the dead to a proper burial in their own country."

Netanyahu did not mention the release of the over 600 Palestinian prisoners that was expected today, which was delayed by Israel.