PIJ-Hamas hand joint response to Egypt's swap proposal: Exclusive

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
2 Jan 2024 17:32
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A senior PIJ official tells Al Mayadeen that the Resistance parties conditioned an end to the war on Gaza, the withdrawal of occupation forces, and a UNSC-guaranteed reconstruction of the Strip.

Chief to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement Ziyad al-Nakhalah (left) and head of Hamas politburo Ismail Haniyeh attend a meeting of Palestinian Resistance factions, in Lebanon, Beirut, in 2020 (Social media)

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement and Hamas issued a joint response to the Egyptian proposal regarding an indirect prisoner exchange deal between the Israeli occupation entity and the Resistance in Gaza, a senior PIJ official told Al Mayadeen on Tuesday.

The official pointed out that the Resistance conditioned in the first clause of its presented document a ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza, along with a reconstruction plan for the Strip guaranteed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

His statement echoed the position declared by al-Nakhalah and Haniyeh both of whom affirmed repeatedly there will be no prisoner exchange or any other deals unless the Israeli aggression on Gaza is halted.

"Everything being discussed in the media regarding multi-phase prisoner exchange comes after the implementation of the ceasefire and withdrawal, not before it," Al Mayadeen's source added.

Cairo proposed earlier a framework to converge views, stating that it aims to "spare Palestinians further bloodshed." It included three consecutive and interrelated stages leading to a ceasefire. Egypt also noted that the presented roadmap to end the war on Gaza came after addressing concerns about the occupation and the Resistance.

Al-Nakhalah's remarks came in response to a statement made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier, who claimed that a prisoner exchange deal with the Resistance "will be executed."

The deputy chief of the Islamic Jihad stressed earlier that any response to the Egyptian proposal should be "unified by all Palestinian factions."

Explaining this position, Muhammad al-Hindi pointed out that "Israel wants to continue its aggression on Gaza, after confiscating the prisoner exchange card held by the Resistance."