Netanyahu says prisoners will not be freed until hostages released without Hamas hoopla

Israel is indefinitely delaying the release of Palestinian prisoners who had been slated to be freed Saturday as agreed in a hostage release deal with the Hamas terror group, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says in a statement.

“In light of the repeated violations by Hamas — including the ceremonies that demean our hostages and the cynical use of our hostages for propaganda purposes — it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists planned for yesterday until the next release of hostages is guaranteed, and without the degrading ceremonies,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office reads.

The statement could trigger Israel’s withdrawal from the ceasefire deal following the release of 25 living hostages and the bodies of four others, but with another 63 people still in Gaza, at least two dozen of them still alive.

Four more bodies are slated to be released on Thursday in exchange for more prisoners, in the last planned transfer of the first stage of the agreement.

There are currently no arrangements for another release of living hostages beyond a framework deal whose details remain to be hashed out and whose future remains very much in doubt.

The move comes after Hamas held ceremonies for the release of five Jewish hostages Saturday, even forcing two still-captive Israelis to watch and record a propaganda video. A sixth hostage, who is not Jewish, was released without fanfare.