Hamas calls for Saudi Arabia to resume ties, release prisoners

The head of Hamas in the diaspora, Khaled Meshaal called, for Saudi Arabia on Sunday to release Palestinian prisoners and resume relations with the movement. Meshaal made his comments on Al Arabiya TV.

According to rights groups and Palestinian sources, Saudi Arabia holds dozens of Palestinians, including the official Hamas representative in the Kingdom, Mohammad Al-Khodari, and his son Dr Hani Al-Khodari. The conditions in which they are being held in prison are said to be “very poor”.

Palestinians in Saudi call on Abbas to save them from ‘slow death’- Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

When asked by the TV station about a possible prisoner exchange deal with Israel, Meshaal pointed out that the occupation authorities have been trying to evade the issue. “The Palestinian resistance insists on the release of prisoners and it knows very well how to do this,” he explained.

The Palestinian resistance in Gaza holds four Israelis, including two soldiers detained during the 51-day Israeli offensive on Gaza in 2014.

“Hamas does not love wars and destruction, but it is carrying out its duty and defend the Palestinian people and their holy sites,” he added concerning the latest offensive against the people of Gaza. “The Israeli occupation authorities started the aggression on the Palestinians when it attacked Al-Quds [Jerusalem] and ignored the warnings of the Palestinian resistance.”

The Hamas leader said that his movement reiterated during the latest Israeli offensive that Jerusalem is the core of the Palestinian cause and that Hamas does not have any plan to create a mini-state in Gaza.

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