Hamas: No prisoner swap talks while Israel bombs Gaza

Hamas is not open to taking part in negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal with Israel while the occupation bombs the besieged Gaza Strip, member of Hamas’ political bureau in Qatar, Husam Badran, said yesterday.

“The military operation is still continuing… therefore there is currently no chance for negotiation on the issue of prisoners or anything else,” Badran told AFP from Doha.

“Our mission now is to make every effort to prevent the occupation from continuing to commit massacres against our people in Gaza, which directly target civilian homes,” he added.

The government press office said at least 100 people are being held as prisoners of war. As of Tuesday, the number of Israelis killed since Saturday has reached 900, with over 2,150 injured.

Israel responded to Saturday’s attack by bombing the Gaza Strip, killing at least 700 Palestinians including 140 children and injuring over 2,900 others, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.

The bombing caused the displacement of more than 187,000 people many of whom are taking shelter in 83 UN schools in the enclave.

READ: Palestinian resistance threatens to execute an Israeli every time Israel strikes civilians in Gaza