Islamic Jihad says US wants ceasefire to release Israeli captives, not to stop war 

A senior Islamic Jihad official has said that the United States wants to see a ceasefire agreement in Gaza solely to release Israeli captives, not to stop the war against the Palestinians in the besieged enclave. Deputy Secretary-General of the movement Muhammad Al-Hindi made his comments during a press conference in Beirut on Monday.

“At the end of this round, Israel’s weight in the region and the world will diminish. Even if the truce deal in Gaza is concluded, the battle with the Israeli occupation will not stop,” said Al-Hindi. “This confrontation will increase the Palestinian people’s resilience, strength and ability to face future challenges.” Whoever avoids confronting Israel in the region, he added, will live as a slave to it and to the US.

According to the Islamic Jihad official, Washington fears that the conflict will spread across the region. He said that it is ironic that the US gives weapons to Israel but only throws crumbs of food to the Palestinians.

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