Hamas: Israel delaying implementation of Gaza ceasefire deal, prisoner exchange

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has criticized Israel for delaying the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal after Israeli forces killed and injured Palestinians trying to return to the north.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem in a statement on Saturday held the Zionist entity responsible for any disruption in the enforcement of the ceasefire deal and its repercussions on other related matters.

“The occupying regime is still delaying the implementation of the terms of the truce deal and prisoner exchange agreement by continuing to block off Rashid Street and preventing the return of displaced Palestinians from the south to the north,” he said.

Qassem also emphasized that Hamas has informed mediators that 29-year-old female Israeli captive Arbel Yehud is alive and expected to be released next Saturday.

“What was done today (Saturday) concerning the Israeli captives reflects our religious and ethical values. The latest developments clearly show that the Resistance is still powerful and dynamic,” the Hamas official stated.

He further stated that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was under the delusion of winning a victory ever since the regime’s military unleashed its bloody onslaught against Gaza on October 7, 2023, and he was constantly speaking of imaginary achievements.

“We involved people in the release of four Israeli soldiers in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, as this triumph belongs to the entire Palestinian society,” Qassem pointed out.

Palestinian families return home in Gaza after ceasefire to find no home

Displaced Palestinian families returning to Gaza after the ceasefire deal find their homes destroyed and once-bustling streets filled with haunting silence and sorrow.

The Gaza ceasefire deal went into effect last weekend with the release of three Israeli captives and 90 Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli authorities on Saturday released 200 Palestinian prisoners as part of the second phase of a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

Abdullah Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club advocacy group, said the prisoners were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Some prisoners were released into the West Bank from Ofer Prison, while others bound for Gaza or deportation abroad were released from Negev Prison in the southern flank of Israeli-occupied lands.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Authority, the 200 prisoners included 121 who had been serving life sentences and 79 others with long sentences.

Israel has released a list of more than 700 Palestinian prisoners, who are to be released under the deal. More than 230 prisoners are serving life sentences and will be permanently sent to exile upon their release.

Hamas said in a statement on Saturday that Israel was forced to “open the doors of his cells to our heroic prisoners,” after more than 15 months of “unprecedented brutal aggression that targeted every inch of Gaza in its barbarity.”

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