Islamic Jihad warns fate of Israeli captives depends on Netanyahu's actions
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad warns Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel is responsible for the fate of captives held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, said in a Wednesday statement that Palestinian resistance has fulfilled its duties and commitments in the ceasefire agreement, “while the enemy has left its captives in danger and an uncertain fate.”
“The fate of the prisoners held by the resistance is directly tied to Netanyahu's actions, for better or worse.”
It said that the resistance “will adhere to the ceasefire agreement in all its details as long as the enemy remains committed to it.”
Al-Quds Brigades issued the warning after Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, threatened on Tuesday to withdraw from the ceasefire deal with Hamas and resume “intense fighting” in the Gaza Strip if Hamas does not release more captives by midday February 15.
Under the ceasefire agreement that took effect on January 19, the resistance is scheduled to release three Israeli captives each Saturday.
Israel’s minister of military affairs Israel Katz also threatened on Wednesday that if Hamas does not release Israeli captives by Saturday, "the gates of hell will open on them [Gazans], just as the US president promised.”
Katz was referring to Donald Trump’s recent threat that he will call for cancellation of the ceasefire and “let all hell break out,” if Hamas does not release all of the captives by noon on February 15.
The Israel minister claimed that the new war on Gaza will be "different in intensity" and "will not end without the defeat of Hamas and the release of all the hostages."
Hamas won’t accept ‘language of threats’
In a separate statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said Wednesday that the resistance group’s “position is clear.”
He said Hamas “will not accept the language of American and Israeli threats.”
Qassem reiterated that “Israel must commit to implementing the terms of the ceasefire agreement for the release” of the captives.
During the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, 33 Israeli captives are to be released in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian abductees.
Hamas warned earlier this week that it could delay the release of Israeli captives, since the regime’s military has violated the ceasefire deal, by carrying out deadly shootings, blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid and inhibiting Palestinians' passage to northern Gaza.
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