Hamas - which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US, UK and other countries - denounced Israel's decision as a "blatant violation" of the deal and warned US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators that there could be no talks on extending the ceasefire until the prisoners were released.

On the 37th day of the ceasefire in Gaza, the Israeli broadcasting authority quotes cabinet members as saying that Netanyahu intends to extend the first phase of the deal without moving to the second one in light of halting the release of the seventh batch of the Palestinian prisoners.