Hamas, the militant group in Palestine, has revealed its intention to leverage captured Israeli citizens in negotiations for the release of Palestinians arrested in the United States and Arabs held in Israeli prisons. Ali Barake, a representative of Hamas, made this announcement in an interview with the Associated Press. According to Barake, there are Palestinians detained in the US on charges of financing Hamas, and the movement aims to demand their release. Additionally, Hamas seeks the liberation of all Arab prisoners incarcerated in Israeli jails.
Barake emphasized that Hamas is prepared for any escalation of the conflict, including a prolonged war. He stated that since 2014, Hamas has been training its fighters and producing rockets independently. Barake cited the Israeli government’s actions towards the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the increased pressure on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails as the reasons behind Hamas’ attacks.
Earlier reports indicated that around 140,000 Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip had evacuated their homes and sought refuge in designated shelters to escape the bombings and shelling by the Israeli army. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had previously vowed to destroy Hamas.
