Hamas official says Netanyahu ‘intentionally sabotaging’ Gaza ceasefire

Hamas officials have accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "deliberately sabotaging" the Gaza ceasefire agreement, following Israel's postponement of the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. This accusation underscores the fragile nature of the truce and the deep distrust between the two sides.

Basem Naim, a member of Hamas's political bureau, stated in an interview with Al Jazeera on Monday that Hamas would not engage in further ceasefire negotiations until Israel releases the 620 Palestinian prisoners who were originally scheduled for release last Saturday. Naim emphasized, "Before moving to the next step, we must ensure that the past step, which is the release of 620 prisoners, has been completed."

Naim further stated, "Netanyahu is clearly sending a strong signal that he is deliberately sabotaging the agreement, and he is preparing to return to war." Israel announced on Sunday its decision to postpone the release of the Palestinian prisoners who were scheduled to be freed the previous day in exchange for six Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

Netanyahu's office stated in a statement that the move was in response to Hamas's hostage release ceremony, which "humiliated our hostages," and "cynical propaganda against our hostages." Since the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip took effect last month, Israel and Hamas have conducted a series of hostage-prisoner exchanges.

Although mediators have urged both sides to continue negotiations to reach the second phase of the agreement, observers question whether Netanyahu is willing to proceed to the next stage. Meron Rapoport, editor of the Israeli news outlet Local Call, told Al Jazeera on Monday that Netanyahu intends to resume Israel's war on Gaza but may face strong opposition from the Israeli public.

Rapoport stated, "The expectations of the families of the hostages (still in Gaza) are that all the hostages should be released." Hamas is expected to release the remains of four Israeli hostages later this week as part of the ceasefire agreement. When asked about this and the future of the agreement itself, Naim told Al Jazeera, "All options are on the table."

The Hamas official asked, "What guarantees are there that (Netanyahu) might take the other four bodies and again not release the agreed number of Palestinians as well as the 620 Palestinians?" He added, "All options are on the table, not only regarding what should happen on Thursday, but also regarding the other elements of the agreement."