“Hamas will not be quiet about prisoners sitting in Israeli prisons; some of them for over 40 years already.”

Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh attends a meeting with members of international media at his office in Gaza City, June 20, 2019 (photo credit: MOHAMMED SALEM/ REUTERS)
Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh attends a meeting with members of international media at his office in Gaza City, June 20, 2019 (photo credit: MOHAMMED SALEM/ REUTERS)

 

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh threatened that the Gaza-based terrorist organization can still kidnap more Israeli soldiers, Channel 12 reported.

Speaking to Al Jazeera in an interview, which was held in honor of the 72nd anniversary of the Nakba, was held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, as the Hamas leader has not returned to the Gaza Strip in the last two months.

The comment came while he was discussing the prisoner exchange negotiations between Hamas and Israel, as he added that he was still waiting for a breakthrough.

“We can increase our loot, our hand is strong,” he said, implying that Hamas has the ability to kidnap more soldiers, which can be used as bargaining chips in following negotiations.

“Our price has been made known,” he said. “The occupation must know that we will only agree to a respectable deal that includes all the Shalit deal prisoners.”

It was reported last week that Hamas is demanding the release of all ex-prisoners who were re-arrested by Israel after they were released in the 2011 prisoner exchange that freed Gilad Schalit.

“Hamas will not be quiet about prisoners sitting in Israeli prisons; some of them for over 40 years already,” he added.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post