US, 17 states ignore war on Gaza, urge Hamas to release captives

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
25 Apr 2024 20:23

In response, a senior Hamas official says "the ball now is in the American court."

Israeli occupation soldiers move on the top of a tank near the border with Gaza, on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP)

A senior Hamas official affirmed that the Palestinian Resistance group would not be swayed by calls to release captives it holds before "Israel" stops its aggression on the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Sami Abu Zuhri stressed that Washington should pressure "Israel" to halt its aggression, after the United States, along with 17 other countries that have nationals held captive, issued a joint statement calling on the Hamas movement to release all captives as a step toward ending the war.

"The ball now is in the American court," he pointed out.

According to Reuters, the signatories of the statement were the leaders of the United States, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand and Britain.

"We emphasize that the deal on the table to release the hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, that would facilitate a surge of additional necessary humanitarian assistance to be delivered throughout Gaza, and lead to the credible end of hostilities," the statement read.

"Gazans would be able to return to their homes and their lands with preparations beforehand to ensure shelter and humanitarian provisions," it added.

Speaking about the statement, a senior US official told reporters that there were some signs of potential progress in resolving the captive file but expressed limited confidence.

The official claimed the resolution largely depended on Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar.

The United States and "Israel" have been attempting to demonize the Palestinian Resistance and mislead public opinion by claiming that Hamas is obstructing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The Resistance has repeatedly affirmed that it is adhering to its conditions in negotiations and will not engage in any deal with "Israel" without their fulfillment.

Hamas insists on the complete withdrawal and the return of the displaced people to Gaza without any conditions or barriers, in addition to the conditions regarding relief and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, leading to a prisoner exchange deal.