Israel said early Sunday that it was delaying the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners who had been slated to go free Saturday until Jerusalem receives assurances regarding the end of “humiliating ceremonies” staged by Hamas when hostages are handed over.

The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office came after over 600 inmates had reportedly already boarded buses to leave Ofer prison, in the largest single-day release of the first stage of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire. Instead, the inmates were told to disembark, their release on indefinite hold.

The grandson of Israeli hostage Oded Lifschitz, 84, whose body was returned from Gaza to Israel this week, has spoken to the BBC.

Daniel Lifschitz criticised Hamas for kidnapping a great-grandfather, saying Oded died in "poor conditions, without food, without medication".

He described his grandfather as "a warrior of peace" and said "a generation of education" free from Hamas was needed in order to bring progress towards peace in the region...

The body of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas was not among the four returned by Hamas from Gaza on Thursday, Israel’s military has said, accusing the Palestinian militant group of a “violation of utmost severity” of the precarious ceasefire deal.

Hamas said it will investigate Israel’s claims, insisting that it intends to abide by the terms of the ceasefire deal reached with Israel.

"The hearts of an entire nation lie in tatters," Israel's president has said, as the bodies of four hostages taken alive by Hamas in its attack on 7 October 2023 were returned to Tel Aviv.

Hamas says the bodies are those of a mother and two children from the Bibas family, whose unknown fate has gripped Israel, and Oded Lifschitz, 84, a veteran peace activist.

President Isaac Herzog wrote "there are no words" in a post on social media platform X, asking the four for forgiveness "for not bringing you home safely".

Freed hostages Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov and Iair Horn crossed back into Israel on Saturday morning after being paraded on a stage in southern Gaza in a propaganda-filled release ceremony by the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups that held them captive for 498 days.

Hamas-led militants released three male Israeli hostages Saturday and Israeli forces freed hundreds of prisoners in return, in the latest indication that a fragile ceasefire that had teetered in recent days is holding.

Militants in the southern Gaza Strip paraded the three hostages — Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina; American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29 — before a crowd before releasing them. They were transported to Israel to be reunited with their families and to receive medical evaluation in a hospital.

Hamas released three more Israeli hostages Saturday — including an American father of three — preserving the fragile cease-fire agreement that nearly imploded after the terrorists threatened to delay the release of any additional captives.

Hamas and affiliated terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad turned over a trio of men kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023  — Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36; Alexander Troufanov, 29; and Yair Horn, 46 — to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has been facilitating the release of the hostages in Gaza. 

President Donald Trump said if Hamas does not return all hostages by noon on Saturday, he will call for the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to be canceled and "let all hell break out." 

Trump made the comments after signing executive orders in the Oval Office Monday evening. 

When asked if he felt the ceasefire deal should be canceled, the president said that is "Israel’s decision." 

A spokesman for the armed wing of Hamas says the group is postponing the next scheduled release of Israeli hostages, blaming what he says are Israeli violations of the ceasefire deal.

Three hostages held in Gaza are due to be freed on Saturday in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz called the Hamas announcement a "complete violation of the ceasefire agreement".