Following a handover ceremony in Gaza for Israeli captives, during which one Israeli soldier kissed the heads of two Hamas fighters, an outraged Netanyahu suspended the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Following tensions that threatened to unravel a tenuous ceasefire, Hamas released three Israeli prisoners after receiving guarantees from mediators that Israel would adhere to the humanitarian stipulations of the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas politburo member Ismail Radwan tells Mondoweiss that Israel’s violation of the ceasefire’s humanitarian protocols “attempts to achieve what it could not achieve through its criminal war of extermination” in Gaza.
Yara Hawari and Abdaljwad Omar discuss Israel’s attempts to sabotage the fragile ceasefire, emerging questions about post-war governance in Gaza, and what this means for the future of Palestine.
Trump’s hostage demands made headlines, but Netanyahu returned to the ceasefire agreement in response to Hamas pressure.
Trump is threatening to let “all hell break loose” after Hamas paused the release of Israeli captives in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire. But make no mistake, this is exactly what Israel wants.
The military spokesperson of Hamas confirmed the deaths of several top military leaders in its armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, including its commander-in-chief, Muhammad al-Deif.
Scenes of celebration overtook the streets of Ramallah as the first group of Palestinian prisoners, mostly women, were released as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal. Despite the joy many felt, tensions remain high in the West Bank.
In the wake of a ceasefire, many will try to force the discourse into a binary of victory and defeat. But as the dust settles, a true picture emerges: one of the fragility of the Israeli colony, and the transformative power of resistance.
As of Friday a ceasefire deal still hung in the balance. After delays by Netanyahu, Israel’s cabinet finally convened to deliberate on a vote. But even if the deal goes through, all signs are pointing to Israeli plans to sabotage it after phase one.