Senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad charged that Israel was altering the names of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for release as part of the developing ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. Speaking from Cairo on Sunday night in an interview with Al Jazeera, Hamad alleged that Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu would “return to aggression” in Gaza unless sustained pressure was applied by the international community.
He appealed to Arab governments and mediating nations to “restrain the Zionist madness” and guarantee the agreement was fully carried out.
According to Hamad, Hamas was working with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, and staying in contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to implement the exchange “as stated in the agreement.” However, he claimed that Israel’s slow response to verifying names in the submitted documents was hindering progress.
Despite these accusations, Hamad maintained that the situation was “moving in a good direction” and vowed that Hamas would “do everything we can” to ensure that both the prisoner exchange and the broader ceasefire arrangement succeed.
His remarks came as disputes intensified over the list of prisoners. Israel’s Justice Ministry publicly released 250 names of Palestinian detainees designated for release, while Palestinian representatives insisted that no definitive list had been finalized, reflecting persistent disagreements over who qualified for release and in what order.
Al Jazeera Arabic echoed the Palestinian position, reporting that Israel was attempting to dictate terms of the prisoner releases. The outlet cited sources saying that Hamas was still working through Cairo, Doha, and Ankara to revise the list issued by Israel.
The ICRC, emphasizing its neutrality, reaffirmed that any exchange of prisoners and hostages must take place in a manner that guarantees safety and dignity, with careful oversight of transfers and reunifications under the ceasefire structure.
These statements coincided with Israel and Hamas preparing to advance to the next step of the accord. Israeli and international sources indicated that 20 Israeli hostages were set to be freed on Monday, alongside a large-scale Palestinian prisoner release, within a framework facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Hamad’s comments also echoed Hamas’s past rhetoric describing Netanyahu as a “war criminal,” language the group has routinely used in rejecting Israel’s conditions linked to disarmament or future governance in Gaza.
As part of the truce arrangements reported over the weekend, Israel began transferring detainees in anticipation of the releases while humanitarian groups ramped up aid operations within Gaza. Yet arguments over specific names and classifications of prisoners persisted, including some last-minute modifications sanctioned by Israel’s cabinet to the initial groups approved for release.
This ugly dog needs to be taken out.