Haniyeh says Israeli prisoner issue won’t be dealt with until war ends

The head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said yesterday that the movement has informed all parties which have made contact regarding the Israeli captives being held in Gaza that this file will not be dealt with before the end of the war. Moreover, he insisted that it would only be resolved at a price acceptable to the [Palestinian] resistance movements.

The former Palestinian Authority prime minister claimed that the destruction and brutality inflicted by Israel against the mainly civilian Palestinian population in Gaza reflects the “resounding impact” of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on the Zionist state. He stressed that the Palestinian people in Gaza have again demonstrated their ability to withstand the challenges “and their willingness to sacrifice all that is precious for the sake of their freedom and dignity.”

Nothing that the Israeli occupation authorities do will erase the shameful defeat inflicted on their army and security services at the weekend, added Haniyeh. “They will pay a heavy price for their crimes and terrorism [against the people of Palestine].”

OPINION: If there is any justice in this world, Israel’s criminal politicians and generals will be held to account