Hamas stressed this Monday that there is still no agreement for the release of the hostages held by the Islamist group in Gaza, accusing the Israeli prime minister of delaying the process and lying, according to the pro-Palestinian portal Gaza Now.
Azzat Al-Rashq, a member of the Hamas political cabinet, cited by the pro-Palestinian portal, stressed that the agreement for the exchange of prisoners has not yet been finalized, after the president of the United States, Joe Biden, said this Monday that the The finalization process would come soon.
The Palestinian official accused the head of the Israeli Government, Benjamin Netanyahu, of “delaying the prisoner exchange agreement” and of “lying to all parties.”
“Every time we get closer to concluding the prisoner exchange agreement, problems and stoppages arise,” the same source highlighted.
“Any prisoner exchange agreement must be accompanied by a ceasefire,” he added.
Joe Biden had previously highlighted, on the sidelines of a ceremony at the White House, that the agreement was close and that he maintains conversations with those involved every day.
The White House had already reported this Monday that Biden had “discussed extensively” with Benjamin Netanyahu the efforts to reach an agreement that would lead to the release of the hostages.
Israeli sources had given signals in the same direction, indicating that Hamas would be available to release the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The international press has also reported that Hamas could also accept the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
The Al Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, issued a statement in the last few hours reporting that the negotiations – which are led by Qatar, the North American agency CIA and the Israeli information agency Mossad – focus on the possible release of around 70 women and children.
On October 7, Israel declared war on the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) – in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007 and classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Israel – following an attack by the Islamist group that It included the launching of “rockets” and the infiltration into Israeli territory of some three thousand combatants, who massacred some 1,200 people, wounded some five thousand and kidnapped more than 200.
The Israeli Army immediately counterattacked with its air and naval forces and, since the end of October, also with a ground offensive, during which, so far, 66 soldiers have died.
In 45 days of war, the Israeli offensive left more than 13,000 dead in the Gaza Strip, according to the local Ministry of Health, which estimates, however, that, due to the thousands found under the rubble, the number of victims Mortals must already exceed 16 thousand.
Added to this are tens of thousands of injured and, according to the UN, 1.7 million displaced – more than two thirds of the total population of that poor Palestinian enclave, which faces a serious humanitarian crisis due to water scarcity. , food, electricity, medicine and fuel.
Source: TSF
