Senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad accused Israel of fixing prisoner lists underneath the deal, warning that Netanyahu could resume the Gaza conflict
Senior Hamas political bureau member Ghazi Hamad, talking to Al Jazeera from Cairo on Sunday night time, accused Israel of “taking part in with and altering” the lists of Palestinian prisoners slated for launch underneath the rising ceasefire-for-hostages deal, and warned that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would “return to aggression” in Gaza with out sustained worldwide strain.
He urged Arab states and mediators to “restrain the Zionist insanity” and guarantee full implementation of the settlement.
Hamad mentioned Hamas was coordinating with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, and involved with the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross (ICRC), to hold out the trade “as acknowledged within the settlement,” however alleged that Israeli delays in verifying names on paperwork despatched to the events had been creating obstacles.
He however mentioned the method was “transferring in route” and that Hamas would “do every little thing we will” to make each the prisoner trade and the broader deal succeed.
His claims got here amid mounting disputes over prisoner lists. Israel’s Justice Ministry printed 250 names of Palestinian prisoners set for launch as a part of the deal, whereas Palestinian officers mentioned no closing roster had been agreed upon, highlighting ongoing friction over the standards and sequencing of releases.
Ghazi Hamad, member of Hamas Political Workplace, delivers remarks on the continued battle between Israel and Hamas, throughout a press convention in Beirut, Lebanon, October 28, 2023. (credit score: REUTERS/AMR ALFIKY)
Al Jazeera Arabic reporting on Sunday additionally amplified Palestinian assertions that Israel was making an attempt to impose its personal phrases on the prisoner file, with sources saying Hamas continued contacts through Cairo, Doha, and Ankara to amend the Israeli-published checklist.
The ICRC has reiterated that any trade of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners should be performed safely and with dignity, underscoring the group’s impartial function in transfers and household reunifications underneath the ceasefire framework.
20 Israeli hostages to be freed
The remarks got here as Israel and Hamas ready for the subsequent part of the settlement. Israeli officers and worldwide media reported that 20 residing Israeli hostages had been anticipated to be freed on Monday in parallel with large-scale prisoner releases, a part of a broader truce structure brokered with the assistance of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Hamad’s interview echoed previous Hamas statements describing Netanyahu as a “conflict legal,” rhetoric the group has used repeatedly whereas rejecting Israeli circumstances tied to disarmament or postwar governance preparations in Gaza.
Beneath the ceasefire phrases reported over the weekend, Israel has been transferring detainees in preparation for releases whereas worldwide companies scale up humanitarian operations inside Gaza. Disagreements over particular prisoner names and classes have endured in current days, together with last-minute modifications permitted by Israel’s authorities to the primary batches.
