Israel has postponed the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners

The release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners is postponed until the freedom of the next Israeli hostages is secured "without humiliating ceremonies". The Associated Press (AP) reported this on February 23, citing the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The release of the 620 Palestinian prisoners was delayed by several hours and was supposed to take place immediately after the release of six Israeli hostages on Saturday (Feb. 22). This was to be the largest single-day prisoner release in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire," the agency noted.

Thus, Israel's statement put the future of the truce in doubt.

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The day before, the Palestinian Hamas movement handed over six hostages to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The IDF noted that Israeli army commanders and soldiers welcomed and embraced the returning hostage.

Safa news agency reported on February 21 that Israel is set to release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners, including 50 people sentenced to life imprisonment. According to the agency, 445 prisoners from the Gaza Strip who were arrested after October 7, 2023, will also be released.