Israel will delay the seventh hostage-prisoner exchange in protest of Hamas’ “humiliating” treatment of hostages, according to Israeli officials.
The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners, which was scheduled for Saturday, was postponed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Yesterday morning, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement condemning Hamas propaganda generated during the exchange.
“In light of Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies,” the office’s statement said.
The statement came after reports of Hamas fighters exploiting Israeli prisoners while they were being released. On Saturday, five of the six freed hostages were accompanied by armed militants in front of a crowd, including three Israeli hostages who posed alongside terrorists.
Read Also: IBB: civil war darkest moment in Nigeria’s history
Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov and Eliya Cohen were among the hostages forced to pose with the terrorists. Shem Tov was also forced to appear cheerful, kiss two militants on the head and blew kisses to the crowd.
The three also wore fake army uniforms, though they were not enlisted when they were captured by Hamas.
In another recent ceremony orchestrated by Hamas, four coffins were placed in front of a caricature of Netanyahu with a banner that said, “The war criminal Netanyahu & his Nazi army killed them with missiles from Zionist warplanes.”
Hamas condemned Israel’s decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, arguing that Israel’s claim that the hostages’ handover ceremonies are “humiliating” was false and a pretext to evade obligations under the ceasefire agreement.