Israel refused to release the 600 Palestinians who were set to be freed as part of last weekend's prisoner exchange citing Hamas’ delivery of a wrong body instead of detained Israeli Shiri Bibas on Thursday, but is this just an effort to give credence to its plans to relaunch its bombing campaign in Gaza?


Is Israel manufacturing pretexts to derail the Gaza ceasefire agreement? What does the Arab world’s alternative vision for post-genocidal war Gaza look like? This episode of Palestine This Week brings you exclusive insights into these pressing questions as the first phase of the ceasefire deal reaches its critical final days. With negotiations hanging in the balance and regional leaders meeting in Riyadh, we explore the diplomatic manoeuvring that could determine Gaza’s future.
Joining us this week is Muhammad Shehada, reporting directly from Cairo where he’s been closely monitoring the ongoing negotiations. As a visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relation’s Middle East and North Africa programme and a Gazan researcher and human rights advocate, Shehada brings a unique perspective to the issue.
We examine the significance of the summit in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where Arab leaders are presenting a united front against the forced displacement of Palestinians. Could we see a return of the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 and can the region remain united in rejection of US President Trump's Gaza “Riviera” proposal. Our analysis explores whether Arab states are prepared to use their considerable leverage - from normalisation agreements to strategic partnerships - to prevent the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the West Bank, where Israel has escalated its military aggression by deploying tanks and troops.
We also investigate Israel’s controversial handling of the release of the Bibas family and how it might be used to undermine the ceasefire agreement and manufacture consent for continuing the genocide. We examine the far-reaching implications of the Trump administration’s decision to halt funding for Palestinian Authority security forces, while unpacking the glaring disparity between Israeli media’s candid admissions of genocidal intent and Western media’s reluctance to acknowledge this reality.