GAZA (Dispatches) – Palestinian Hamas resistance movement’s deputy political bureau chairman Mousa Abu Marzouk said there had been “a fundamental development” in talks regarding a prisoner swap deal between the Palestinian movement and the Zionist regime after several delays, the London-based Al-Araby al-Jadeed has reported.
Abu Marzouk explained that an agreement could take place in a few weeks if the Zionist regime responded to the movement’s demands while accusing the regime of deliberately delaying the process.
Abu Marzouk did not clarify the nature of the deal or Hamas’ demands, but the resistance movement in the besieged Gaza Strip had previously called for the release of prisoners freed in a 2011 swap deal but who had later been redetained by the Zionist regime.
A deal would likely see imprisoned Palestinians released in exchange for the bodies of Zionist troopers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, reportedly held by Hamas in Gaza since the 2014 war, and two Zionists, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are believed to be held captive by Hamas.
“We were sure that the [Zionist] occupation was backing away from linking the issue of reconstruction to an exchange agreement because it is an illogical condition,” Abu Marzouk said.
“In any war around the world, prisoner exchange agreements are made at the end,” he added.
The occupying regime holds an estimated 4,650 Palestinians, detained in 23 prisons, in violation of international law.