Palestinian households react after Israel delayed the discharge of Palestinian prisoners, scheduled to be launched within the seventh hostage-prisoner alternate, within the occupied West Financial institution metropolis of Ramallah early on February 23, 2025.
Zain Jaafar/AFP through Getty Photographs
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Zain Jaafar/AFP through Getty Photographs
TEL AVIV, Israel — In a big disruption of the Gaza ceasefire deal, Israel is delaying the discharge of a whole lot of Palestinians detainees and prisoners after Hamas launched Israeli hostages in ceremonies Israel known as humiliating.
An official conversant in the matter, who was not licensed to talk publicly, mentioned it was Israel’s try to increase the present part of the ceasefire earlier than it expires in a single week and to hunt the discharge of extra hostages. The Prime Minister’s Workplace declined to remark.
Israel’s navy can also be intensifying an offensive in opposition to a Palestinian militant stronghold within the occupied West Financial institution, deploying tanks there for the primary time in additional than twenty years. Israel’s protection minister is vowing to maintain troops in Palestinian refugee camps and stop the return of displaced residents within the coming yr.
Israel and Hamas traded accusations concerning the therapy of hostages and prisoners
Hamas launched six Israeli hostages Saturday, all however one in every of them in staged ceremonies. A masked Hamas videographer spoke to at least one hostage earlier than filming him kissing the heads of masked militants. Hamas additionally drove a pair of Israeli hostages, nonetheless held captive, to a launch ceremony, and filmed them on the scene begging Israel to be launched.
As a part of the hostage-prisoner alternate deal, Israel on Saturday was about to launch round 600 Palestinians from jail, carrying sweatshirts with a verse from Psalms translated into Arabic about pursuing one’s enemies.
However in a late-night choice, Israel protested the “cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda functions” and mentioned it will delay the Palestinians’ launch “till the discharge of the subsequent hostages has been assured, and with out the humiliating ceremonies,” the Prime Minister’s workplace mentioned. The choice additionally got here after Hamas returned the stays of an nameless lady as a substitute of an Israeli hostage killed whereas in captivity; Hamas later handed over the hostage’s physique.
Israeli hostage Eliya Cohen (L) and Omer Shem Tov smile to one another as they stand on stage accompanied by Hamas fighters in Nuseirat within the central Gaza Strip, after their launch as a part of the seventh hostage-prisoner alternate on February 22, 2025.
Eyad Baba/AFP through Getty Photographs
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Eyad Baba/AFP through Getty Photographs
Hamas known as the prisoner launch delay a ceasefire violation, and rejected Israel’s accusation. “These ceremonial protocols don’t humiliate the prisoners, however quite replicate the humane and dignified therapy of them. The true humiliation is what our detainees face through the launch course of, together with torture, beatings, and deliberate mistreatment till the final moments,” Hamas mentioned in a press release.
Among the many Palestinians who have been meant to be launched Saturday are these convicted of lethal assaults in opposition to Israelis, and a whole lot of Palestinians apprehended in Gaza through the latest conflict and held with out cost.
The following part of the ceasefire stays unclear
Earlier than the present stage of the ceasefire expires Mar. 2, Hamas is supposed to return the stays of 4 Israeli hostages this coming Thursday, and Israel is supposed to launch extra Palestinian detainees and prisoners Saturday.
However the way forward for the Gaza ceasefire is unclear. Israel’s new senior ceasefire negotiator, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, met with President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in the US late final week to debate the subsequent part, the official mentioned.
Israel is pushing to increase the present part of the ceasefire and safe the discharge of extra hostages, quite than negotiate the phrases of a second part, which might necessitate a full Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza and a dedication to finish the conflict, the official mentioned. These are phrases that far-right members of Israel’s governing coalition oppose.
Israel says 63 hostages stay in Gaza, solely 27 of them believed to be alive. They have been amongst greater than 250 folks taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants from Hamas and different teams broke by means of the border with Israel and killed some 1,200 folks, in response to Israel.
Within the ensuing 15 months of conflict, greater than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in Israeli strikes, in response to Gaza well being authorities.
Individuals cheer as an Israeli Air Pressure CH-53 navy transport helicopter carrying newly-released Israeli hostages Omer Shem Tov and Eliya Cohen arrives at Beilinson Hospital within the Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva in central Israel on February 22, 2025.
Ahmad Gharabli/AFP through Getty Photographs
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Ahmad Gharabli/AFP through Getty Photographs
Israel intensifies its operation within the occupied West Financial institution
The Israeli navy introduced it was deploying tanks to Jenin, a northern metropolis within the West Financial institution and the main target of Israel’s present operation there. It is the primary time Israel has had tanks within the occupied territory because the Second Intifada in 2002.
The operation, which Israel says is for counterterrorism and has been known as Operation Iron Wall, started greater than a month in the past within the Jenin refugee camp, simply two days after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was applied in Gaza. It has since unfold to a number of different areas together with the refugee camps of Tulkarem and Nur Shams.
Greater than 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced from these areas, in response to the United Nations and Israel’s protection minister — the most important displacement of Palestinians within the West Financial institution in many years. The bulk are staying in rented flats, which have grow to be more and more unaffordable, in response to experiences from the United Nations. Others are staying in makeshift shelters in colleges or mosques. Practically all fled with few belongings and are searching for help.
In a press release launched at present, Israel’s Protection Minister Israel Katz mentioned that he had instructed the navy to stay within the camps for the approaching yr, and that Israel would “forestall the return of residents” — a risk that echoes the mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza by order of Israel through the conflict.
“We won’t return to the fact of the previous,” Katz mentioned. “We are going to proceed to clear the refugee camps and extra terror hubs.”
Refugee camps like Jenin and Tulkarem have lengthy been militant strongholds within the West Financial institution, however are additionally built-up city areas dwelling to many households and civilians, with very important sources like colleges and hospitals. The United Nations says that Israeli forces have destroyed dozens of buildings on this present operation, ripped up roads and precipitated extreme harm to vital infrastructure like water, sewage and electrical energy.
Final week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz visited troops in Tulkarem, saying that reinforcements had been known as up and that the navy operation within the West Financial institution would “intensify.”
The go to got here the morning after explosives detonated on a number of buses within the Tel Aviv suburbs, and a number of other extra buses have been discovered with explosives onboard. The buses had been empty on the time and no accidents have been reported, however Israeli officers thought of it a serious terrorism incident.
Nuha Musleh in Ramallah, Yanal Jabarin in Jerusalem and Ahmed Abuhamda in Cairo contributed to this report.
