Israel halts the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the exchange agreement with Hamas.

The Israeli authorities have confirmed the postponement of the planned release of Palestinian prisoners in protest against the chaotic scenes witnessed today during the transfer of several Israeli hostages.

This was reported by The Times of Israel.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Defense Minister Israel Katz, ordered the delay of the release of terrorists scheduled for today until a safe transition of our hostages during upcoming releases can be guaranteed,” the statement said.

The Office also noted that Israel insists that intermediaries ensure compliance with this condition.

According to data from CNN, four Red Cross vehicles were surrounded by a crowd for over an hour on January 30 in Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip.

Masked individuals armed with weapons escorted the Israeli hostages step-by-step to the Red Cross vehicles, after which the convoy left the area shortly after 1:00 PM local time.

These scenes sharply contrasted with previous hostage releases by Hamas, which took place earlier on Thursday and last Saturday under heightened security measures, where the crowd remained behind a designated perimeter.

Background. Previously, Mind reported that Hamas named the hostages it would release, while Israel allowed residents of northern Gaza to return home. The hostages are set to be released as part of the first stage of agreements between the parties.