Israel halts prisoner release after six Gaza hostages were freed

Israeli officials have said that the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for Saturday has been delayed after six hostages were freed under a fragile Gaza truce, which is nearing the end of its first phase.

Israel stated that the release of the Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the six Israelis can only take place if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes a security consultation later on Saturday.

“Once the security consultation concludes, a decision will be made regarding the next steps of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas,” an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity.

The official did not provide a clear reason for the delay, which follows an emotional two days in Israel, where the remains of another hostage, Shiri Bibas, were identified after the initial handover of a different body.

Media Talk Africa reports that six Israelis, some of them dual nationals, were released earlier on Saturday—the last group of living hostages under the truce’s first phase.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club advocacy group, Israel would free 620 inmates, most of them Gazans detained during the war, in exchange.

The first phase of the truce, which has largely halted more than 15 months of devastating fighting in the Gaza Strip and enabled the release of 30 captives, is due to expire in early March.

Meanwhile, negotiations for a second phase, which is intended to lead to a permanent end to the war, have yet to begin.