Hamas has condemned the Israeli regime’s “flimsy” excuses to delay the release of Palestinian abductees under a swap deal honored by the Palestinian resistance movement.

In a statement on Sunday, Hamas political bureau member Izzat Al-Rishq said Hamas strongly condemns the occupying regime’s decision to delay the release of the abductees.

“This decision once again exposes the occupation’s evasions and its renouncement of its commitments,” he said.

He noted that Israel’s claim that the “handover ceremonies are humiliating” is a “false pretext” and a “flimsy excuse” aimed at evading its obligations under the exchange agreement.

“These ceremonies do not involve any humiliation of the prisoners; rather, they reflect a dignified and humane treatment towards them,” the Hamas official added.

“The real humiliation is what our prisoners endure during the release process, including torture, beatings, and deliberate humiliation up until the last moments.”

Al-Rishq argued that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision reflects a deliberate attempt to obstruct the agreement, constitutes a clear violation of its terms, and demonstrates the regime’s unreliability in fulfilling its commitments.

Netanyahu playing ‘dirty games’ to derail Gaza ceasefire deal: Hamas official

Meanwhile, another senior member of the Hamas political bureau warned earlier that Netanyahu and his cabinet are sabotaging the second phase of the ceasefire agreement by not engaging in negotiations.

The negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime are due to end on March 1.

After failing to achieve any of its war objectives in Gaza, Israel was forced to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas which went into effect on January 19.  

The six-week first phase saw the release of Israeli captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian abductees, the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and delivery of aid into the territory devastated by the 15 months of relentless Israeli bombardment.

The second phase, if finalized, would see the release of all the Israeli captives and a permanent ceasefire.

Basem Naim, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau, stated that this is not the first time that the regime has tried to undermine the agreement.

“We believe that again, these are dirty games from the right-wing [Israeli cabinet] to sabotage and undermine the deal and to send a message of willingness to go back to war,” he told Al Jazeera on Saturday.

Hamas has remained committed to the ceasefire agreement, and has abided by its obligations under the deal, he emphasized.

According to Naim, the killing of 100 Palestinians during the first phase, limiting the entrance of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and postponing the withdrawal of its forces from the Netzarim Corridor, are only a few of the Israeli regime’s violations of the agreement.

Earlier this month, Israeli authorities confirmed to The New York Times that Hamas’s reports about the regime’s violations of the deal were accurate. But Netanyahu’s cabinet officially denied them.

Netanyahu has threatened to resume the war on Gaza and has said he is “committed” to Trump’s proposal to “take over” the Strip and displace its Palestinian residents.

‘Organized terrorism’

Early on Sunday, the Palestinian Prisoners Club said in a statement that the Israeli regime’s decision to delay the release of the seventh group of abductees is a form of “organized terrorism.”

The statement added that the practice is “abuse” against the abductees and their families, especially in light of the severe cold weather.

“The occupation has not left any tool of humiliation, abuse, and torture without using it against the prisoners and their families.”

The prison system continues to torture the prisoners, and all the occupation agencies continue to threaten the prisoners and their families, which is an extension of a policy that it has used over many years, but it has clearly escalated during the recent liberation operations, the statement noted.

“We remind you that the occupation did not stop at its crimes against the prisoners, but also practiced organized terrorism against their families, through threats that reached the level of arrest and killing, and storming homes and carrying out acts of sabotage and destruction inside them.

The Prisoners Club affirmed that the underlying motive behind these heinous crimes and threats extends beyond inflicting harm and depriving individuals of the joy of freedom.

The true objective, it stated, is to tarnish the status of Palestinian abductees within the collective consciousness of the Palestinian people.