Hamas says 'no talk about prisoners or exchange deals' until Israel stops Gaza campaign

0
2K

The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas reportedly issued a statement Thursday declaring that there will be no more discussions about releasing the hostages it is holding until Israel stops its military campaign in Gaza.

"There is a Palestinian national decision that there should be no talk about prisoners or exchange deals except after a full cessation of aggression," the statement read, according to Ynetnews.

Separately, the deputy chairman of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil Al-Hayya, told Al Jazeera that "We want an end to the aggression, then we will go to reconstruction and construction, and then we will talk about the prisoners," The Jerusalem Post reports.

Both statements have emerged as Fox News’ Trey Yingst reported this morning that Hamas is continuing to reject Israeli officers of a weeklong cease-fire in exchange for hostages. About 129 hostages are believed to remain in the Gaza Strip.

 

Israeli soldier and vehicles
An Israeli soldier stands next to military vehicles near the Gaza Strip border on Monday, Dec. 18.

On Wednesday, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization, Ismail Haniyeh, headed to Egypt for talks about a potential cease-fire and hostage release deal with Israel, Reuters reported.

 

Haniyeh, who normally lives in Qatar, last visited Egypt in early November prior to the announcement of the first cease-fire of the war, which saw the release of more than 100 hostages from Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel, according to Reuters.

 

A source told Reuters that the negotiations, which also are focusing on delivery of aid to Gaza, are intensive, and a breakthrough could be imminent.

However, one Palestinian official told Reuters that "Hamas's stance remains they don't have a desire for humanitarian pauses," and "Hamas wants a complete end to the Israeli war on Gaza."

"Haniyeh and Hamas always appreciate the Egyptian effort," that official also said. "He is in Cairo today to listen to whether Israel has made new proposals or whether Cairo has some too. It is early to speak of expectations."

Israel Gaza: Hamas says no more hostage releases until war ends

Israeli soldiers on patrol in the Gaza Strip. They are seen walking in single file across muddy ground towards a number of damaged buildings.

Israeli soldiers on patrol in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas, the group which controls the Gaza Strip, has ruled out any more hostage releases until Israel agrees to a "full cessation of aggression".

Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hamas fighters in Gaza since a truce earlier this month when more than 100 hostages were freed.

Around 120 people abducted from Israel on 7 October are believed to be still in captivity in Gaza.

Efforts continue at the United Nations to pass a resolution on the war.

The US has said it still has serious concerns over the draft UN Security Council resolution, with voting now postponed to Friday.

The week-long truce this month also brought an increased flow of aid into Gaza where the UN has warned that the population is at risk of famine if the war between Israel and Hamas continues.

Negotiations on a new truce have been taking place in Cairo, Egypt, though initial talks on Wednesday bore no agreement.

In a statement, Hamas said: "There is a Palestinian national decision that there should be no talk about prisoners or exchange deals except after a full cessation of aggression."

It is unclear to which other Palestinian factions the statement was referring. Islamic Jihad, a smaller group in the Gaza Strip, is among those known to also be holding Israeli hostages.

The Hamas statement puts the Israeli government in a very difficult position.

It has said it thinks the best way to get the release of hostages is military pressure on Hamas and by staging rescue operations.

But so far that approach has not really worked. Only one hostage - Ori Megidish - has actually been rescued.

 

The government is also under huge pressure from the relatives of the hostages still being held, with some telling it the strategy of force is not working.

Hamas is putting pressure on Israel to stop the war altogether but without any guarantee that the group is going to stop its armed actions.

So the Israeli government is extremely reluctant to stop fighting until it feels it has completely degraded Hamas capability and it has not done that yet.

This will be a huge disappointment for the people of Gaza, who are desperate for this war to stop.

The Israeli report of killing 2,000 Hamas members in Gaza this month came a day after the territory's Hamas-run health ministry put the overall death toll there since 7 October at more than 20,000 including 8,000 children and 6,200 women.

When Hamas and their allies broke through the heavily guarded perimeter with Israel on 7 October they killed 1,200 people.

Pesquisar
Categorias
Leia Mais
News
China’s 6th-Gen J-36 Fighter Can “Thwart” U.S. B-21 Raider; Enforce Air Superiority From 1,000 KM Away: Chinese Magazine
In a potential conflict over Taiwan, China’s under-development sixth-generation fighter...
Por Ikeji 2025-05-06 05:14:33 0 805
Outro
Wearing Eyeglasses Provide Clear Vision And Has Protective Effect On The Eyes
Wearing cheap eyeglasses near me not only provides clear vision, but also has a certain...
Por pauline 2024-09-02 10:32:38 0 2K
News
Enhancing Dining Experience: The Evolution of Nento's Digital Menu System
In today's fast-paced digital age, technology has seamlessly integrated...
Por elizabethaddision 2024-04-04 06:47:17 0 3K
Networking
Ayurvedic Market 2030 Sees High Demand in Personal Care Segment
Rising Demand for Natural Products and Medical Tourism Fuels Market Expansion The...
Por sandipmaximize 2025-02-27 16:07:41 0 1K
News
China Threat Pushes US To Accelerate Next-Gen Interceptor Program; Expert Finds THAAD, Patriot & SM-3 ‘Ineffective’
The unprecedented success of Israel in neutralizing the Iranian missiles-attack seems to have...
Por Ikeji 2024-04-18 03:52:12 0 2K