A senior Hamas leader announced on Sunday that the group will not engage in further negotiations with Israel until Palestinian prisoners are released, as stipulated in the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.
Under the first phase of the deal, Israel was set to release 620 prisoners on Saturday in exchange for six Israeli captives freed by Hamas.
However, the Israeli government delayed the release, citing concerns over what it called “humiliating hostage handovers.”
“There will be no talks with the (Israeli) enemy through mediators before the release of the prisoners agreed upon in swap for the six Israeli captives,” Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi said in a statement, as reported by Middle East Monitor on Sunday, February 23, 2025.
In response to the delay by Israel, Hamas condemned Israel’s actions, calling them a “violation” of the ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement.
The Gaza ceasefire deal, which took effect last month, halted Israel’s military offensive, which has resulted in over 48,300 deaths, according to Gaza health officials.
The majority of the casualties have been women and children, with the enclave suffering widespread destruction by Israeli forces.
Israel faces mounting international legal challenges over its military actions in Gaza.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Additionally, Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its ongoing military operations in Gaza.
The current deadlock in negotiations raises concerns about the durability of the ceasefire agreement, with mediators under pressure to resolve the dispute and prevent a renewed escalation of violence.
