GAZA, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Hamas accused Israel on Saturday of violating the terms of a Gaza ceasefire agreement by delaying the release of a seventh group of Palestinian prisoners, calling the move a "flagrant violation" of the truce.
In a statement, Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif Al-Qanou claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government "continues to procrastinate and delay" agreed-upon prisoner releases. He said Hamas had cooperated with mediators to advance the exchange process, including releasing six Israeli hostages in three separate batches earlier on Saturday.
"We call on the mediators and guarantors of the agreement to exert pressure on the occupation (Israel) to respect the ceasefire agreement and implement its provisions without procrastination or delay," the spokesman added.
The Israeli government has postponed the release of 602 Palestinian prisoners agreed as part of the latest hostage-prisoner swap.
Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, citing a political official, said Netanyahu has decided to postpone the release until concluding security consultations scheduled for Saturday evening, without specifying the reason for the delay or a new timeline for the release. ■
