Hamas has been accused of releasing the wrong hostage body during its latest exchange of prisoners with Israel on Thursday, officials said.
US envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler, on Friday, said the alleged decision by Hamas to release an unidentified body instead of Shiri Bibas was “horrific” and a “clear violation” of the ceasefire.
He warned, “If I were them, I’d release everybody or they are going to face total annihilation.”
The allegations might hamper the ongoing prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, which is likely to take place on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Hamas has yet to comment on the claims made by the Israeli military.
Additionally, Hamas has also been subjected to severe criticism by Palestinian and human rights groups over its decision to parade the bodies of deceased Israeli captives during the hostage exchange on Thursday.
Furthermore, in a long post to social media, Muhammad Shehada, a Palestinian analyst, writer, and visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations, said many had pointed out that Israel had returned hundreds of unidentified Palestinian bodies in “garbage bags” piled up in trucks.
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“Our principles should “NEVER” be contingent on the behaviour of our oppressor!” Shehada wrote.
“Pointing out the mistakes of a Palestinian faction does NOT delegitimise our cause or lend credence to Israel’s [and] it most definitely does NOT mean opposing, vilifying, or sowing doubt about Palestinians’ legal right to resist their slow demise [and] dispossession, by international law,” he said.
The experts point out that Israel is becoming increasingly impatient and its administration is getting frustrated by the tactics used by Hamas, as they are releasing the hostages in small numbers to test whether Israel abides by the ongoing ceasefire agreement or will they lose patience.
Similarly, by delaying the hostage release, Hamas is seeking to extend the ceasefire agreement.
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