Hamas agrees to potential compromise on hostage release ceremony after Israel halts prisoner exchange

The Israeli government's decision to halt the release of 602 Palestinian prisoners in response to Hamas’s humiliating ceremonies for the handover of hostages to the Red Cross has had a noticeable impact.

According to Israeli media reports, Hazem Qassem, a Hamas representative in the Gaza Strip, indicated willingness to accept the proposal from mediating countries regarding the hostages’ release ceremony, hoping to resolve the crisis and free Palestinian prisoners, per Caliber.Az.

Although specifics are unclear, it appears Hamas may agree to make the ceremony less degrading for both the hostages and Israel, or potentially cancel it entirely.

The mention of a "compromise on the issue of ceremonies" implies that there are other issues on which Hamas remains unwilling to make concessions. For instance, some Israeli government members have suggested demanding the release of an additional living hostage as compensation for the humiliation, with the release possibly scheduled for Thursday, February 27.

At the same time, senior Hamas official Bassem Na’im made it clear that the organization would not negotiate further steps of the ceasefire agreement with Israel unless the prisoners are released as per the initial agreements.

To recap, on the night of Sunday, February 23, Israel announced that the 602 Palestinian prisoners, who were scheduled to be released as part of the deal in exchange for six hostages, would not be freed. A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's office explained that this decision was due to Hamas's repeated violations of the agreement, including ceremonies that humiliated Israeli hostages and exploited hostages for propaganda purposes.

Earlier, on January 15, the Qatari Prime Minister revealed that Qatar, Egypt, and the US brokered a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The deal called for hostages held in Gaza to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The first phase, lasting 42 days, involves the release of 33 Israeli hostages by Hamas.

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a multi-pronged attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 Israelis, including people attending a music festival, and taking 251 hostages. The violence was extreme, with reports of sexual assault, and it has been widely condemned as one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in history, marking the largest mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust.

In response, Israel declared martial law and initiated Operation Iron Swords. The international response has been split, with Western nations condemning Hamas for war crimes and terrorism, while many Arab and Muslim countries have blamed Israel, citing its occupation of Palestinian territories.

As Israel's military operations continue, airstrikes on Gaza have taken a devastating toll, with over 48,000 Palestinian deaths reported, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

By Tamilla Hasanova