GAZA, Apr 16 (NNN-WAFA) – A senior official with the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, categorically dismissed as “untrue,” reports that it will soon reach a deal to swap prisoners with Israel.
Moussa Dodin, member of Hamas’ political bureau, made the comment in a press release on Monday, added that, the resistance movement had not yet seen any serious steps on the part of the Israeli regime, in dealing with the issue of exchanging inmates.
Dodin, however, said, Hamas would welcome any mediation efforts to pave the way for a prisoner swap, and renewed an initiative recently made by Yahya Sinwar, the movement’s leader in the besieged Gaza Strip, about making some concessions on a new deal, on condition that Tel Aviv would take practical steps on the issue.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced last week that, the regime was interested in “immediate” indirect prisoner exchange negotiations with the resistance movement, which runs Gaza.
The office said, the exchange sought to enable the release of two Israelis and the remains of two soldiers reportedly held by Hamas. The two Israeli soldiers were killed during Israel’s 2014 war on Gaza, which killed 2,310 Palestinians.
Israel keeps thousands of Palestinians behind bars in dire conditions, despite the COVID-19 outbreak, which has seen many international rights organisations campaigning for the release of the inmates.
Hamas has on numerous occasions lambasted the difficult incarceration and humanitarian conditions of Palestinian inmates in Israeli prisons.
With the global spread of the virus, the movement has stressed the necessity of protecting Palestinian prisoners against the flu-like pathogen and of pressuring Tel Aviv to provide what was necessary for their safety and take full responsibility for their lives.
The COVID-19, was transmitted from wildlife to people, in the Chinese city of Wuhan, late last year, and has affected 209 countries and territories across the globe. It so far infected more than 2.08 million people and killed over 134,615 others.
The Palestinians have reported about 308 cases with two fatalities.– NNN-WAFA
