The assertion from the group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, comes two days after Israeli forces recovered the our bodies of six captives from a Gaza tunnel.
The armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas mentioned prisoners held in Gaza can be returned to Israel “in coffins” if Israel continued to exert army strain, warning that it had threatened the armed forces guarding the prisoners if Israeli forces approached. Officers issued “new directions.”
“[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has insisted on releasing the prisoners by way of army strain slightly than reaching a deal, which suggests they may return dwelling in coffins. Two days after Israel discovered the our bodies of six captives, their households should select whether or not to just accept them lifeless or alive, Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida mentioned in an announcement on Monday.
“Netanyahu and the army intentionally obstructed any prisoner trade settlement and bear full accountability for the captives’ deaths,” the assertion mentioned.
The Qassam Brigades assertion got here shortly after Netanyahu mentioned the our bodies of six prisoners present in a tunnel within the Rafah area of southern Gaza had been “executed” by Hamas.
“I ask your forgiveness for not bringing them again alive,” Netanyahu advised a televised information convention early Monday, as protests continued for a second day in Israel over the deaths.
“We had been shut, however we didn’t succeed. Hamas pays a really heavy value for this,” he added.
Senior Hamas official Izat Rishek mentioned six prisoners had been killed in Israeli airstrikes.
In the meantime, protests over the captives’ deaths continued in Israel, with indignant demonstrators saying they might have returned alive had Netanyahu’s authorities signed a ceasefire with Hamas.
Nonetheless, Monday’s nationwide strikes and rising public anger in Israel could have no actual impression on ending the struggle in Gaza and releasing prisoners, political analyst Akiva Eldar advised Al Jazeera.
“For Netanyahu, the choice – that’s, his private, political and private life – is extra vital than the lives of Israeli captives,” Erdar mentioned, including that regardless of the massive variety of protesters, “Israeli right-wing and radical components” assist the “proper wing” of the federal government that prevails”.
“The federal government and the prime minister are actually on the defensive,” Israeli political knowledgeable Ori Goldberg advised Al Jazeera. “The important thing now’s momentum.”
On the identical time, US President Biden additionally mentioned that Netanyahu didn’t do sufficient to achieve an settlement to launch prisoners.
Biden was requested throughout an interview with reporters on the White Home on Monday whether or not he thought Netanyahu had executed sufficient to achieve a deal. “No,” Biden mentioned, with out elaborating.
Months of on-again, off-again talks brokered by the USA, Qatar and Egypt have thus far failed to achieve settlement on Biden’s Might ceasefire proposal in Gaza.
Hamas desires a deal to finish the struggle and withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza, whereas Netanyahu says the struggle will solely finish if Hamas is defeated.
Alon Pincus, a former Israeli ambassador and authorities adviser, advised Al Jazeera that Netanyahu has “completely no real interest in a hostage deal or a ceasefire.”
“Those that are shocked, appalled and outraged by what occurred shouldn’t be stunned as a result of that is precisely what occurred. [Israeli] minister of protection [Yoav Gallant] All of us warned this was going to occur,” Pincus mentioned.
“his [Netanyahu’s] It was his unwillingness to make a deal that allowed all of this to occur.
