Israel postpones release of 620 Palestinian prisoners after 'humiliating hostage ceremonies'

The handover of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners has been postponed "until the release of the next hostages is secured without humiliating ceremonies", Israel has said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office accused Hamas of "repeated violations" of their truce deal and lashed out at "disgraceful ceremonies" during the release of the captives in Gaza.

The 620 Palestinians were due to be freed on Saturday 22 February following the group's release of six Israelis.

On Sunday, Hamas said talks with Israel on extending the ceasefire deal - the first phase of which expires soon - was dependent on the prisoners being released as agreed.

The White House later said Israel's decision was an "appropriate response" to the "barbaric treatment" of the hostages.

The Israeli statement came as vehicles apparently carrying prisoners left the open gates of Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank, only to turn around and go back in.

Five of the six Israeli hostages were escorted by masked, armed militants in front of crowds - displays the UN and others have criticised as cruel.

The final hostage was released to the Red Cross in private.

Ezzat el Rashq, of Hamas's political bureau, denied the ceremonies were insulting to hostages.

He said Mr Netanyahu was endangering the ceasefire and making "flimsy excuses" not to honour his part in the deal.

Hamas had speculated the delay was due to some prisoners being "assaulted", something Israel denied, claiming Red Cross officials were present at the last-minute negotiations.

The Gaza ceasefire continues to hold, despite tensions earlier in the week when Hamas initially handed over the body of an unidentified Palestinian instead of mother-of-two Shiri Bibas.

A video released by Hamas purported to show two Israeli hostages, Eviatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, in distress as they were taken to watch one of the handovers on Saturday.

The footage shows them speaking under duress.

The hostage-prisoner exchange earmarked for Saturday was supposed to be the last for the first phase of the ceasefire.

Who are the freed Israeli hostages?

The first two hostages released on Saturday were Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu.

Mr Shoham, 40, was visiting his wife's family in Kibbutz Be'eri when Hamas militants stormed into the community during the October 7 attacks in 2023.

His wife, two young children and three other relatives were also abducted, but they were freed in an exchange in November 2023.

Mr Mengistu, a 39-year-old Ethiopian-Israeli, had been held in Gaza since he entered the territory on his own in 2014.

Watching the moment he was freed on TV, his family broke out in song as he walked free for the first time in more than a decade.

Later on Saturday, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert were handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza.

Mr Shem Tov, 22, was taken during the October 7 attacks on the Nova music festival.

The computer programmer had shared his live location with his family, who eventually noticed he was headed towards Gaza and contact with him was lost.

Mr Cohen, 27, was also taken from the Nova festival, alongside his fiancee.

Released hostages have said that he was kept in chains and deprived of food and sunlight during his time in captivity, according to reports.

Mr Wenkert, 23, was taken from Nova. He suffers from colitis and requires special medical care, it has been reported.

Finally, Hisham al Sayed, 28, was handed over in a private ceremony.

The Bedouin-Israeli, from the village of Hura in the Negev desert, has been a captive since he crossed into Gaza in 2015.

Who were the Palestinian prisoners meant to be released?

According to the prisons office, run by Hamas, they included 50 who had been sentenced to life imprisonment, 60 described as having "high" sentences, 47 prisoners from the "Wafa al Ahrar" 2011 prisoner exchange deal who had since been re-arrested, and 445 who were arrested after 7 October attacks.

The "Wafa al-Ahrar" deal was the 2011 prisoner exchange agreement that saw the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1027 Palestinian prisoners.

Read more:
Body of Shiri Bibas returned, family confirms
Fragile Gaza ceasefire stumbles from one hurdle to next

Among the most high-profile Palestinians who had been set to be released was Nael Barghouti - the longest-serving prisoner, who has been inside for 43 years.

Also on the list were several journalists, many of whom covered events at al Shifa hospital, and Yousef al Mansi, a Palestinian minister in Gaza.

It had been expected that Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, would be among those being released on Saturday.

However it later emerged that he was not on the list of those set to be freed.

(c) Sky News 2025: Israel postpones release of 620 Palestinian prisoners after 'humiliating hostage ceremonies'