Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delays the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners abruptly putting the future of the truce into further doubt.

The six included three Israeli men seized from the Nova music şenlik and another taken while visiting family in southern Israel when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border in the 7 October, 2023, attack that triggered Israel’s 16-month bombing campaign in Gaza.

The Bibas family include a mother and two children whose whereabouts were widely speculated on.

After Hamas said it will release six living Israeli hostages and return four bodies, family members expressed both happiness and grief ahead of the release, while Palestinians in Gaza maintain hope that the ceasefire will hold.

Hamas is set to release six living Israeli hostages on Saturday and four bodies before then.

The Palestinian group recently said they could delay the release of hostages, after accusing Israel of breaching some of the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip took hold in January.

Israel says its forces have now withdrawn from a key Gaza corridor which means thousands of Gazans can now return home.

The Palestinians were released on Saturday afternoon in exchange for three Israeli civilian hostages whose gaunt appearances caused widespread condemnation.

The three hostages released on Saturday by Hamas appeared to be in much poorer physical condition than any of the other 18 returnees, sparking widespread condemnation among Israeli civic society and human rights groups.