Hamas denounces delay in release of prisoners

Hamas on Sunday condemned Israel's decision to delay the release of Palestinian prisoners, calling it a deliberate attempt to evade its commitments under the agreed-upon deal.

In a statement, senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq dismissed Israel's claim that the handover ceremony of Israeli hostages was humiliating, describing it as "a false claim and a flimsy pretext aimed at shirking its obligations".

Al-Rishq further accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of intentionally disrupting the cease-fire agreement, citing it as evidence of "Israel's lack of reliability in fulfilling its commitments".