No talks with Israel unless prisoners freed: Hamas

KABUL (Pajhwok): Hamas says it will not continue negotiations with Israel on a ceasefire agreement unless Palestinian prisoners are released as agreed, a media report said on Monday.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indefinitely postponed the release of more than 602 Palestinian prisoners.

As Hamas freed six Israeli hostages on Saturday, Netanyahu said the release of Palestinian prisoners would be delayed until the release of the remaining Israeli captives was guaranteed.

"Any talks with the enemy through mediators regarding any upcoming steps are conditional on the release of the 602 Palestinian prisoners agreed upon in exchange for the four bodies and the six Israeli captives who were freed on Saturday," Bassem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, told Reuters.

“The mediators must ensure that the enemy adheres to the terms of the agreement as stated in the agreed-upon text,” he added.

Hamas agreed last month to release 33 Israeli prisoners in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as part of a six-week ceasefire, during which Israeli forces would withdraw from some positions in Gaza.

The war in Gaza began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. In response, Israel carried out successive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian officials claim the Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of 48,219 people, mostly women and children.

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