Haniyeh: UAE to help release Hamas prisoners in Saudi Arabia 

The head of Hamas’ political wing, Ismail Haniyeh, announced yesterday that several Arab countries had pledged to help release the group’s detainees in Saudi Arabia. Haniyeh told Rai Alyoum that the pledges had come during recent talks that included “Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, the United Nations, and the United Arab Emirates.”

Haniyeh said that he had provided the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, a “list of names of all Hamas detainees,” adding that he was hoping for them to be freed. “I hope that the imprisonment of our members won’t continue,” he stressed.

The Hamas leader pointed out that the detainees’ health was “difficult”. “We don’t wish for our heroes to lose their lives in prison in the sisterly Saudi Arabia,” Haniyeh said.

He explained that he had received “promises by Arab countries to address the issue.” But reiterated that his movement’s leadership would continue “to attempt to secure the release of our detainees in the kingdom.”

READ: UN calls on Saudi Arabia to release Palestinian prsioners ‘immediately’

Haniyeh also pointed to the fact that Hamas was exerting “efforts to release our detained brothers in Libya,” noting that the file was being managed by the movement’s representative, Marwan Al-Ashkar.

“We are hoping to close this painful eight-year-old file, which contradicts with Libya’s stance in supporting the Palestinian cause and our struggling people,” Haniyeh said.