Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri has declared that Israeli hostages detained in Gaza will not be released until Israel adheres to the conditions set forth by the group. He emphasised that any agreement with Israel holds no significance unless Israel commits to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Addressing a press conference alongside leaders of Palestinian factions in the Tunisian capital, where he arrived on Friday, Abu Zuhri remarked, “Why do we even go to negotiations and sign an agreement if the [Israeli] occupation does not accept to stop the aggression against our Palestinian people?”
He underscored that the primary objective of the resistance is to halt aggression in Gaza and secure the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Tel Aviv estimates that approximately 134 Israeli prisoners are held in Gaza, while Hamas asserts that 71 of them perished in Israel’s bombing campaign on the Strip.
Abu Zuhri highlighted that although Hamas has accepted proposals from mediators for a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange, Israel has impeded progress by launching attacks on Rafah, located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.