Hamas denies claims that it will hand over bodies of 2 hostages in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 - Militant group, Hamas says talks with Israel about further steps in the Gaza ceasefire deal are conditional on Palestinian prisoners being freed as agreed.

Israel said on Sunday, February 23, it was delaying the release of more than 600 Palestinians in return for six living and four dead hostages who had been freed, accusing Hamas of repeated violations including "humiliating" handover ceremonies.

But on Monday, senior Hamas official said the decision exposed the entire agreement to "grave danger" and called on mediators, especially the US, to pressure Israel.

The deal's first phase and temporary six-week truce is set to expire on Saturday but indirect negotiations on the second phase and an end to the war have not yet begun.

In a statement on Telegram, Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi demanded that Israel fulfill the ceasefire agreement by “releasing the 600 Palestinian prisoners” who were scheduled for release on Saturday.

Mardawi stated that the group has not altered its position regarding further talks.

The denial comes after Asharq al-Awsat, a Saudi-owned newspaper, claimed that negotiations between Israel and Hamas were advancing and could soon result in the transfer of two hostages’ bodies.

However, both Hamas and unnamed Israeli sources cited by multiple Hebrew media outlets have rejected this claim.

Earlier on Monday, February 24, Ynet reported that Israeli negotiators told mediators they would proceed with releasing the prisoners if Hamas agreed to return four bodies without staging public ceremonies, as it did with the remains of Shiri Bibas, her children Ariel and Kfir, and Oded Lifshitz.

Israel announced on Sunday that it had postponed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners until Hamas ceased what it described as “humiliating ceremonies” during hostage transfers.

UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that the ceasefire was "precarious" and that a resumption of hostilities must be avoided at all costs.

He also called for the "dignified release of all remaining hostages".