Israel postpones prisoner release over ‘humiliation’ of hostages
Israel is postponing the releaase of 602 Palestinian prisoners set for today in protest over Hamas’s treatment of the hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Sunday morning.
A special unit of the Israeli Prison Service conducts a drill in the Ofer Prison in Givat Ze’ev on Aug. 28, 2024. Photo by Gideon Markowicz/TPS-IL
“In light of Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies,” a statement from Netanyanu’s office said.
In two separate handover “ceremonies,” the captives were made to wear shirts featuring the images of Hamas leaders killed during the war.
Israelis were angered by a Hamas video showing captives Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David being forced to watch one of Saturday’s handover “ceremonies” from inside a Hamas vehicle.
Israeli ire was further raised by reports that hostages Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert and Eliya Cohen had been chained in the dark for extended periods of time, starved and tortured.
Also on Saturday night, forensic experts confirmed that Shiri Bibas was murdered in captivity, and that her remains showed no signs of being killed in an explosion, contradicting Hamas claims she died in an airstrike.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 64 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead.
