JERUSALEM

The mother of an Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza criticized the ongoing prisoner swap deal, calling it "fragile" due to political delays from Tel Aviv.

Anat Angrest, the mother of soldier Matan Angrest, said that while Hamas is committed to continuing the swap, the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been "stalling for political reasons," affecting its timely implementation.

Speaking to Haaretz daily on Saturday, the mother revealed that one of the recently released Israeli captives, who had been part of the swap, indicated that her son Matan is still alive in Gaza.

"We are pleading with Israeli authorities to take action to ensure the deal progresses,” she said.

The mother also stressed that the swap deal remains "fragile" due to Israeli governmental delays.

“Hamas truly wants this deal to continue and even shorten its stages," she added. "But Israel has decided to delay the timelines for political reasons."

Despite Netanyahu’s assurance that Israel would prioritize the release of captives based on humanitarian grounds, even for soldiers, she said Matan's release was postponed to phase two of the deal.

Earlier on Saturday, Hamas’ armed wing the Al-Qassam Brigades released three Israeli captives as part of the sixth prisoner exchange of phase one of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.

A ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

Last November the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.