Israel delays the release of Palestinian prisoners. Move tanks to the West Bank: NPR

Tel Aviv, Israel – Israel has significantly disrupted the Gaza ceasefire contract after Hamas released Israeli hostages that called Israeli hostages humiliation, causing Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian detainees and prisoners I’m delaying it.

Officials familiar with the issue were not allowed to speak publicly, so Israel is about to extend the current phase of the ceasefire before it expires in a week and seeks to release more hostages. He said it was an attempt. The prime minister’s office declined to comment.

Israeli forces have also stepped up attacks on Palestinian extremist bases in the occupied West Bank, deploying tanks there for the first time in more than 20 years. Israeli Defense Minister has vowed to maintain his troops in Palestinian refugee camps and prevent the return of displaced people next year.

Israel and Hamas accused of treating hostages and prisoners

Hamas released six Israeli hostages on Saturday. A masked Hamas videographer spoke to one hostage before filming him kissing the head of a masked extremist. Hamas also drove Israeli hostages, still captured and arrived at the release ceremony, and filmed them at the scene asking Israel to release them.

As part of the hostage prisoner exchange agreement, Israel was attempting to release around 600 Palestinians from prison on Saturday.

However, during a late-night decision, Israel protested “the ironic exploitation of hostages for propaganda purposes” and “releasing the Palestinians” without humiliating rituals until the next hostage is guaranteed to be released. He said he would delay it. The Prime Minister’s office said. The decision came after Hamas returned the bodies of an anonymous woman in place of an Israeli hostage killed in captivity. Hamas later handed over the hostage body.

Hamas called the delay in the release of prisoners a ceasefire violation and rejected Israel’s charges. “These ritual protocols do not humiliate the prisoners, but rather reflect their humane and dignified treatment. True humiliation involves torture, beat, beating, intentional abuse. “This is what our detainees will face during the release process, including,” he said in a statement.

Some Palestinians intended to be released on Saturday have been convicted of fatal attacks on Israelis. He was then arrested in Gaza during the recent war and without charge.

The next stage of the ceasefire remains unknown

Before the current phase of the ceasefire expires on March 2, Hamas intends to return the bodies of four Israeli hostages this Thursday, with Israeli detainees on Saturday with Palestinian detainees. The purpose is to release more prisoners.

However, the future of the Gaza ceasefire is unknown. Israeli new senior ceasefire negotiator, Strategy Minister Ron Dahmer, said he met with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkov later last week to discuss the next phase.

Israel is pushing to extend the current phase of the ceasefire and ensure the release of more hostages rather than negotiating the terms of the second phase. . These are the terms that far-right members of the Israeli governing coalition oppose it.

Israel says it believes that 63 hostages remain in Gaza, with only 27 of them alive. They were taken over 250 hostages on October 7, 2023, when extremists from Hamas and other groups broke the border with Israel and killed about 1,200 people, according to Israel.

In the subsequent 15-month war, more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza were killed in the Israeli strike, according to Gaza Health Authorities.

Israel is strengthening its operations in the occupied West Bank

Israeli forces have announced that they will develop the focus of Israel’s current operations, including Jenin, a city in the northern West Bank. This is the first time Israel has had a tank in an occupied territory since the second Intifada in 2002.

The operation Israel calls for is a counter-terrorism strategy and has been called an ironclad operation, but more than a month ago at the Jenin refugee camp, just two days after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took place in Gaza. It’s beginning. It spreads to several other regions, including refugee camps in Tarkalem and Nur Shams.

More than 40,000 Palestinians have evacuated these areas, according to the United Nations and the Israeli Defense Minister. The majority of them stay in apartments for rent, but are becoming more and more affordable, according to a report from the United Nations. Others stay in shelters arranged between schools and mosques. Almost everything is running away with little belongings and seeking support.

In a statement released today, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to stay at camp next year, saying Israel “will prevent the residents from returning.” Gaza by Israeli orders during the war.

“We won’t go back to the reality of the past,” Katz said. “We will continue to clean up refugee camps and additional terror hubs.”

Refugee camps like Jenin and Talcarem have long been militant hubs in the West Bank, but are also built in urban areas with many families and civilians with important resources such as schools and hospitals. . The United Nations says Israeli forces have destroyed dozens of buildings in this current operation, destroyed roads, and seriously damaged serious infrastructure such as water, sewage and electricity.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz visited the troops of Talcarem, where reinforcements were called and announced that military operations in the West Bank would be “strengthened.”

The visit was in the morning after explosives exploded on several buses outside Tel Aviv, and several more were found carrying explosives. The bus was empty at the time and no injuries were reported, but Israeli officials considered it a major terrorist incident.

Nuha Masle of Ramala, Yanar Jabalin of Jerusalem and Ahmed Abhamda of Cairo contributed to this report.