Israeli Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Wednesday that he would oppose any prisoner swap deal with the Islamic resistance movement Hamas “at all costs”.
Speaking to Israel’s Ynet news site, Smotrich expressed that there are other ways to return the bodies of the four Israeli soldiers and Israeli citizens detained by Hamas, adding that the release of Palestinian prisoners in any deal is a “red line” that cannot be crossed.
#Hamas Announces that #Prisoner Exchange Could Take Place Soon https://t.co/E0ZLojqm05 via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/L5LeGhOtcz
— @palestinechron (@PalestineChron) April 28, 2020
The Israeli minister who is known for his hostility towards the Palestinians, as well as Arab citizens of Israel, proposed to use humanitarian assistance provided to the besieged Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a means of pressure on Hamas to return the detained Israelis.
"These Chains Will Be Broken" by Palestinian author/ journalist Ramzy Baroud attempts to reclaim the narrative of the Palestinian people.
“We urge you to read this book. Our voice, that of pain and resistance, deserves to be heard”.#FreePalestinehttps://t.co/4WjQIlusfa
— Popular Resistance (@PopResistance) January 30, 2020
The news site reported that Germany, Switzerland, and Egypt have been secretly mediating between Israel and Hamas to conclude a prisoner swap deal.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper reported that the Palestinian factions have sent a list of Palestinian prisoners to international mediators requesting to release them as part of the deal.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
