Mumbai: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said that no prisoner swap agreements with Israel will be addressed before the end of the ongoing war.
His remark came after reports claimed that Qatari mediators were trying to negotiate freedom for Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for 36 jailed Palestinians in Israel. Qatar was holding these negotiations with coordination from the US.
Haniyeh also lauded Gazans for their tenacity and willingness to sacrifice themselves for the Palestinian cause, according to The Times of Israel, and asserted that Israel’s counteroffensive is a reflection of the “shame of its defeat.”
Since Hamas breached Israel’s border on Saturday, there have been more than 900 deaths on the Israeli side. However, as of right now, there have been 770 fatalities on the Palestinian side, including 140 children.
In addition, the West Bank region has had at least 18 fatalities and about 100 injuries since Saturday, according to Al Jazeera.
Israel has gathered 3,000 troops as part of its response to Hamas.
According to the Times of Israel, this is the biggest mobilization since Israel called up 400,000 reserve personnel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The Israeli Air Force is still heavily attacking many terrorist organizations’ targets in the Gaza Strip.
If Israel strikes residents of Gaza, according to Hamas, civilian hostages will be slaughtered without notice and the deaths would be broadcast. Israeli army personnel are allegedly among the more than 100 hostages held by the gang.
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