MESHAAL: ‘WE WILL ACHIEVE HONOURABLE PRISONERS’ SWAP’

Gaza City, 25 Safar 1436/18 December 2014 (MINA) – Head of Hamas Political Bureau Khaled Meshaal yesterday reiterated that his movement runs the file on the “Israeli prisoners arrested in Gaza during the summer’s war in a special way”, local Palestinian news agency Safa reported.

Speaking to Al-Aqsa Radio in Gaza, Meshaal said that “talks on the issue of the prisoners are very sensitive”, noting that what his movement hope to “achieve an honourable prisoner swap,” Middle East Monitor (MEMO) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Thursday.

During Israel’s most recent assault on the Gaza Strip, Hamas’s military wing announced that it had captured an Israeli soldier called Shaul Aron in Gaza city, but said nothing about his fate or whereabouts. Israel announced it lost another soldier in Rafah; however Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied that he is in its custody.

Regarding Hamas’ relationship with Iran, Meshaal said that they have been shaken up in recent years, but issues were reconciled recently. He said that the latest visit by a Hamas delegation to Iran were part of efforts to reconcile relations.

Meanwhile, he stressed that Hamas has no relationship with the ongoing Syrian regime. “We found the circumstances are unsuitable so we left the country,” he said, stressing his movement did not maintain any kind of relationship with the Assad regime.

Meshaal reiterated that his movement does not interfere with the internal affairs of any country, especially Egypt. He said that there is no proof that any Palestinian has taken part in the terror attacks in Egypt, stressing that his movement cooperated with the Egyptian security in this regard.

He called for the Rafah Crossing to be opened.

Meshaal said that the unity government is responsible for the salaries of Gaza’s employees. He said that the reconciliation would succeed when all agreed terms were implemented.

The top Hamas leader stressed that a return to internal divisions would be “disastrous” and all external parties interfering in this issue should stop.

He blamed the unity government and the international community for the delay in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. (T/P3/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)