Six Palestinian prisoners, who were rearrested after their release in the 2011 Shalit deal, have refused to be exiled as part of an ongoing prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, Israeli Army Radio reported Saturday.
In response, Israel canceled their release and decided to keep them in detention, the report said. The identities of the six detainees were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, Palestinian human rights organizations, including the Prisoners’ Information Office and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, stated that 97 of the prisoners set for release on Saturday will be deported, according to published lists.
The prisoner releases coincide with Al-Qassam Brigades’ release of six Israeli captives from Gaza on Saturday. This marks the seventh exchange under a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
The truce, which took effect last month, temporarily halted Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The war has killed more than 48,000 people, most of them women and children, and has devastated the enclave.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.