 "Hamas says Netanyahu 'intentionally sabotaging' Gaza peace deal, 'preparing atmosphere' to return to war")
After Benjamin Netanyahu delayed the handover of 620 Palestinians indefinitely demanding that Hamas stop what he described as its “cynical use of hostages for propaganda”, Hamas on Monday accused the Israeli Prime Minister of “intentionally sabotaging” the Gaza truce agreement.
In an interview to Al Jazeera, Hamas official Basem Naim said, “Before going to the next step, we have to be sure that the past step, which was releasing 620 prisoners, are already released. Because Netanyahu is clearly sending strong messages that he is intentionally sabotaging the deal; he is preparing the atmosphere for returning back to the war.”
“Therefore what are the guarantees that he might take the other four bodies and again not release the agreed upon number of Palestinians plus the 620 Palestinians?” he asked.
The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners was postponed for several hours and was likely to take place shortly after six Israeli hostages were freed on Saturday.
This was meant to be the largest single-day prisoner release during the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire. Five of the released hostages were escorted by masked, armed militants in front of a crowd, a display criticised by the UN and Red Cross as inhumane following previous handovers.
Hamas had previously said it would release four bodies this week to complete the truce’s first phase, but this is now uncertain, reported The Guardian.
Netanyahu has shown hesitation in discussing the second phase of the three-stage ceasefire agreement, which would entail a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAccording to The Guardian report_,_ citing Hebrew media outlet Ynet, Israel has informed international mediators that it will proceed with the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners initially scheduled for Saturday only if Hamas returns four bodies by Monday without any ceremony. The Guardian, however_,_ has not confirmed this report.
The handover of 620 Palestinian prisoners was suspended by Israel on Saturday, jeopardising the ceasefire agreement.
Netanyahu criticised what he termed “disgraceful ceremonies that dishonor our hostages and the cynical use of hostages for propaganda.”
On Sunday, Netanyahu vowed to achieve the war’s stated objectives in negotiations “or by other means”.
“We are prepared to resume intense fighting at any moment,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a significant escalation, Israeli forces have deployed their tanks in the occupied West Bank for the first time in more than 20 years as part of an intensified military offensive that has displaced 40,000 Palestinians from refugee camps in the north.
Israel said on Sunday that its troops would stay in the West Bank refugee camps for the coming year, announcing expanded military operations, including tank deployments.
Tanks were last deployed in the West Bank in 2002, when Israel fought a deadly Palestinian uprising.
The Palestinian foreign ministry called the Israeli moves “a dangerous escalation of the situation in the West Bank”, and urged the international community in a statement to intervene in what it termed Israel’s illegal “aggression”.
With inputs from agencies
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