Hamas: ‘We will oblige Israel to free Palestinian prisoners’

Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal promised yesterday that his movement would “oblige” Israel to free “all the Palestinian prisoners” currently being held inside its jails, Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Speaking to the Palestinian Al-Quds TV, Meshaal also stated his support for the Palestinian prisoners who have been on a mass hunger strike inside Israeli jails for 13 days.“We will oblige Israel to pay the price for freeing the Palestinian prisoners from its jails,” he said, stating that it will “not take much time to let the prisoners unite with their families.”

He pointed out that his movement had “contributed to freeing Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails a couple of years ago,” stressing that it is able to “oblige” Israeli to free more prisoners today.

Calling upon everyone to do their best to free Palestinian prisoners, Meshaal said:

All of us are currently invited not to spare any efforts for the sake of the prisoners. This is a religious, legal, humanitarian and fraternal responsibility.

The Hamas top leader stated that the crisis of the Palestinian prisoners “unites” all Palestinian politicians irrespective of their factional loyalty. “We must unite for the sake of their freedom,” he said.