Hamas releases six hostages but Israel fails to free prisoners

Fragile truce at risk as Palestinians' release delayed until Israeli security cabinet meet

- Julian Borger

Hamas released six Israeli hostages yesterday, but Israel delayed the handover of more than 600 Palestinians it was due to free from its prisons in exchange, putting the five-week-old ceasefire once more in jeopardy.

The government said the release would be delayed until after a scheduled meeting of the security cabinet yesterday evening at the earliest.

The delay imposes further strain on the precarious truce, which is at a particularly vulnerable moment, between first and second phases. The first phase is due to end next Saturday, but negotiations on the second phase have yet to begin.

While a majority of Israelis want the release of the remaining hostages to be the priority, there is resistance from the right wing of Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, which wants the war to resume with the aim of obliterating Hamas.

The hostages released by Hamas yesterday included an Ethiopian-born Israeli and a Bedouin man who had been held captive for a decade after they wandered into Gaza on foot.