Zahhar stresses Hamas’s conditions for truce, swapping of prisoners

Senior Palestinian political leader MP Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahhar has reiterated Thursday Hamas”s conditions for truce in the Gaza Strip, and for swapping prisoners with the Israeli occupation government, stressing that the two files are separate, holding the Israeli occupation government responsible for derailing Egypt”s efforts in this regard.

Zahhar, who is the legitimate PA foreign affairs minister, asserted in an interview with the PIC that his Movement has coordinated with Egypt in both files, and both Egypt and Palestine positions in this regard were identical, but, he added, the Israelis were deliberately derailing those efforts with the aim to embarrass the Egyptian leadership.

He also underlined that the file of swapping prisoners was absolutely separated from the file of the truce, adding that if the Israeli occupation government wants its captured soldier Gilad Shalit to return home, then that government should answer Hamas”s conditions and release Palestinian prisoners placed on the list that was submitted to them (Israelis). He described Israel”s attempts to mix the two files as “last minute dodging” that aims at blackmailing Hamas.

“They (Israelis) are trying to circumvent the list of names of our prisoners that we had submitted to them (through the Egyptians), and they are trying to delete and add some names on it, but the names that they are refusing to release are the core of the prisoners” swap deal” underscored Zahhar.

Reacting to Egypt”s decision to postpone, for a while, the invitation for inter-Palestinian dialogue in Cairo, Zahhar explained that Egypt”s program for the next stage was in series as it prioritized the truce agreement and opening of crossing points before it started the prisoners swap deal, and finally the inter-Palestinian dialogue; but due to the Israeli rejection of the truce deal, the said program was delayed.

The Palestinian leader also disclosed the role the seven Arab countries that would sponsor the Palestinian national dialogue, pointing out that those countries will be the supreme reference for any Palestinian understanding achieved in the dialogue, and to follow up the committees that would be created by the dialogue to tackle the main issues of disputes between Hamas and Fatah movements. Qatar, Egypt, Syria, and Algeria in addition to three other “important” Arab countries would sponsor the talks, highlighted Zahhar. 

He finally stressed that amidst the new changes in the Hebrew state, the advantage of continuing the negotiations with the Israelis and the “peace” option that the other Palestinian party (Fatah and the Ramallah government) sees as strategic option will be in a very embarrassing position.