Hamas says holding 4 Zionist soldiers captured in Gaza war

Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says it is holding four Israeli soldiers that it captured during the Tel Aviv’s regime 50-day war on the Gaza Strip in 2014.

During a Friday televised statement, spokesman of Hamas armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, in Gaza Abu Obeida, said the movement has no contacts with the illegal Zionist entity over the prisoners.

“There are no talks or negotiations relating to the prisoners,” said Obeida while speaking on the local al-Aqsa TV with a poster behind him showing black-and-white photos of the four Israeli soldiers.

The Palestinian official stressed that Israel “will not [be able to] get information on the four without paying a clear price before and after any negotiations” on the issue.

He said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu is lying to his people” and “deceiving the families of the captive soldiers.”

Netanyahu recently claimed that “important progress” had been made in obtaining the return of two soldiers imprisoned in Gaza.

Tel Aviv has not made any comment on the announcement so far.

SS