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What are the implications of Abu Obeida's message on prisoner deal?

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
2 Mar 2024 00:44
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Expert in Palestinian Resistance affairs, Hani al-Dali, speaks to Al Mayadeen on the latest message released by Abu Obeida.

Families and supporters of captives held in the Gaza Strip begin their third day of a four-day march to occupied al-Quds to demand the immediate prisoner exchange deal for the release of all captives, in occupied Palestine, on March 1, 2024. (AP)

Abu Obeida's message on Friday served as a "correction" to several paths that governed the political approach to the war on Gaza, the expert in Palestinian Resistance affairs, Hani al-Dali, told Al Mayadeen following a release by the spokesperson for Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades.

In the release, Abu Obeida confirmed that seven Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip were killed by their own military's attacks, adding that the Resistance will demand the release of the same number of Palestinian detainees in exchange for the same number of Israeli captives demanded, be they dead or alive.

Al-Dali said that the message underscores the need to focus on "ending the war on the basis of [awarding the Resistance] political gains," adding that Abu Obeida definitively linked a prisoner exchange deal to advancing and enhancing the Resistance's political position.

Additionally, al-Dali believes that the video released by the group's Military Media of the three killed captives is part of a tactic to add pressure on Israelis to agree to a prisoner exchange deal aiming to mobilize and escalate the captive's issue within Israeli politics. He explained that the Resistance, via releasing the video, is engaged in "psychological warfare" against Israeli authorities.

On the mounting deaths of Israeli captives, al-Dali said that Netanyahu and the Israeli government and military are "clearly lying and directly targeting the captives." He noted that Israeli occupation forces deliberately targeted captives after locating them, with the hope of killing them and their captors.

According to al-Dali, this indicates that the Israeli regime "is not concerned with the prisoners' issue and it is not a priority for them."

Israeli military kills 3 of its 'founding fathers'

Moreover, the expert said that the videos released by the Palestinian Resistance receive significant attention from the families of Israeli captives and are thought to be highly credible pieces of information. He emphasized that the credibility of the Resistance's footage and statements surpasses that of Israeli authorities among the families of Israeli captives.

"Netanyahu abandoned his buddies to face their fate alone without saving them," says a poster that al-Qassam Brigades published today, showing the Israeli Prime Minister crossing off a picture of his "buddy" Yoram Itak Metzger with a red marker.

"After examination and scrutiny,… pic.twitter.com/18wnyntVrc
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 1, 2024

He highlighted the fact that three prisoners, Chaim Ben Nechama (Peri), 79, Yoram Ben Miriam (Metzger), 80, and Amiram Ben Sara (Cooper), 84, hold significant importance for Israeli society, as they have played key roles in the initial stages of the establishment of the colonial occupation government of "Israel".

According to one of the three, he and his fellow captives were "of the generation that built the state of Israel." Al-Dali said that they are recognized "as fathers" of the Israeli occupation and the Israeli occupation forces.