The White House said on Sunday that it supports Israel's decision to delay releasing 600 Palestinian prisoners, citing the "barbaric treatment" of Israeli hostages by Hamas. Delaying the prisoner release is an "appropriate response" to the Palestinian militant group's treatment of the hostages,

Hamas will not hold talks with Israel through mediators on any further steps in the fragile, phased ceasefire agreement unless Palestinian prisoners are released as agreed, group official Basem Naim told Reuters on Sunday.

The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners is delayed, Israel said, “until the release of the next hostages is guaranteed.”

Hundreds of Palestinians supposed to be freed on Saturday are still in prison, which Hamas called a blatant breach of the Gaza cease-fire deal.

Hamas on Sunday (February 23) condemned Israel's decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, saying its claim that the hostages' handover ceremonies are "humiliating" was false and a pretext to evade Israel's obligations under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.