'Deported' Hamas terrorist released in deal appears at Gaza 'ceremony' for slain hostages 

Mohammed Abu Warda, who should have been deported abroad under his release agreement, was seen Thursday morning at a Hamas ceremony in Khan Yunis during the transfer of Israeli hostages' remains to the Red Cross. He was identified wearing a green keffiyeh - a symbol associated with Hamas.

Background on Abu Warda

Abu Warda had been serving 48 life sentences in Israeli prison for orchestrating multiple deadly Hamas attacks in the 1990s, including two devastating bombings of Bus Line 18 in 1996 that killed 44 Israelis. He was released in the third phase of the recent hostage deal, specifically in exchange for hostages Gadi Moshe Mozes, Agam Berger, and Arbel Yahud.

Failed Deportation Agreement

While Israel agreed to his release only on condition of immediate deportation, Abu Warda remains in Gaza along with 19 other released prisoners. This situation arose due to complications with Egypt, which was meant to serve as a transit point under the ceasefire agreement framework.

The Egyptian Factor

Egypt's position has created an unexpected bottleneck in the deportation process. Egyptian authorities are refusing to accept new prisoners until some of those already in their territory are transferred to third countries. This has effectively halted the planned deportations.

Stalled International Arrangements

Hamas claims to have received preliminary agreements from several countries to accept the released prisoners:

- Algeria

- Indonesia

- Malaysia

- Qatar has also expressed willingness

However, two weeks after these announcements, no actual transfers have taken place.

Other Notable Cases

Among the 20 terrorists currently stranded in Gaza is Sami Jaradat of Islamic Jihad, one of the architects of the 2003 Maxim Restaurant bombing that killed 21 Israelis.

Current Process

The intended deportation procedure involves:

1. Israel Prison Service transporting released prisoners to Kerem Shalom crossing

2. Transfer to Egypt with Egyptian authorities' assistance

3. Final relocation to accepting countries

The Red Cross has maintained its policy of non-involvement in the deportation process.

Abu Warda's appearance at today's ceremony has raised concerns about the implementation of the release terms and the effectiveness of the deportation arrangements within the broader hostage deal framework.