Hamas says talks with Israel about further steps in the Gaza ceasefire deal are conditional on Palestinian prisoners being freed as agreed. Israel said on Sunday it was delaying the release of more than 600 Palestinians in return for six living and four dead hostages who had been freed,

Hamas released six hostages from Gaza on Saturday, handing over the final living captives whom the warring sides agreed would be freed when a ceasefire began last month. Israel is due to release 620 Palestinian detainees in exchange,

The six Israelis were the last living captives set to be released in the first phase of the cease-fire. The agreement, strained for weeks, has an uncertain future.

JERUSALEM -- JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas is set to free six more Israeli hostages Saturday from the Gaza Strip, but the exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners is shadowed by heightened tension between the adversaries that clouds the future of the fragile ceasefire deal.

The Associated Press reports that Israel delayed the prisoners' release “'until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies' at handovers of Israeli captives in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the release of Palestinian prisoners would be delayed until the next hostage release was assured.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited ‘ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes.’

Hamas on Sunday said Israel has gravely endangered a five-week-old Gaza truce by delaying the release of Palestinian prisoners under the deal because of the manner it has freed Israeli hostages.The first phase of the truce ends early in March and details of a planned subsequent phase have not been agreed.