An Israeli military court on Thursday suspended the release of 20 Hamas legislators and ministers detained by Israel following an appeal by the military prosecutor.

Instead, the court will hold a hearing next Monday on a possible extension of their administrative detention.

The deputy president of the IDF court, Judge Ronen Atzmon, ordered the release of the 20 last Tuesday, and voiced rare criticism of their detention.

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In his decision to free the politicians, Atzmon questioned the timing of the arrests, noting that the men were permitted to run for office and serve in the Palestinian government for months before their detentions.

"There is evidence upon which the charges are apparently based," he said, but added that the officials should be released until their trial begins. Only then would it be possible to request their detention until the end of legal proceedings, he said.

The 20 were arrested in the wake of the abduction of Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit by Palestinian militants on June 25.

The court on Thursday rejected the arguments of the detainees' lawyers, who said they enjoyed diplomatic immunity and that the arrests contravened the Geneva Convention.