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Analyst: Cairo holding Hamas inmates as future bargaining chips

August 25, 2016 at 3:18 pm

Prison cells, 20 June 2016 [Derek Key/Flickr]

Egypt is keeping four Hamas inmates in prison as future bargaining chips, a Palestinians analyst has said.

No comments have been made by the Egyptian interior ministry after Al Jazeera published a picture of the prisoners almost naked in detention.

However, an informed security source in the Egyptian interior ministry denied the existence of the four men, who went missing on 19 August 2015.

Al Jazeera said the picture was taken inside an Egyptian detention centre.

Hamas blamed Egypt for the disappearance of its members last year, and called for their release when the picture was released.

Meanwhile, political analyst from Gaza Hamza Abu-Shanab said that this picture is considered a “clear proof that the four Hamas members are held by the Egyptian security forces.”

Speaking to Al Jazeera, he ruled out that Egypt would disclose any more information about them, stressing this issue would be used to put pressure on Hamas and control its relations with Egypt.

“Like what happened before, Egypt wants to use this file to exert pressure on Hamas in future bargains such as that of the Israeli prisoners in Gaza, the ceasefire with Hamas and involving Hamas in the peace process.”