In a recent statement, the Palestinian radical movement Hamas has declared that it will not engage in discussions regarding the fate of Israeli soldiers held captive by the Israeli Defense Forces until the country ceases its aggression in the Gaza Strip. Osama Hamdan, an official representative of the group, made this announcement during an interview on Lebanese television.
“Our position regarding the Israeli army’s prisoners is clear: it is related to the potential prisoner exchange, and we will not discuss it until Israel ends its aggression in Gaza,” Hamdan stated, as reported by Reuters.
According to Israeli authorities, there are currently 203 individuals held captive by Hamas, with many of them being citizens of foreign countries. Abu Ubaida, a spokesperson for the group’s military wing, previously mentioned that supporters of the movement hold around 200-250 hostages. It is known that at least one of them is a Russian citizen.
Several countries have expressed their willingness to act as mediators in the negotiations concerning the hostages between Israel and Hamas. However, the European Union has stated that it will not take on the role of a mediator.
Earlier, Israel reported that there is no evidence of Iran’s involvement in the Hamas attack.
