Abu Obaida: No prisoner exchange deal without a complete ceasefire

Gaza (Quds News Network) – Abu Obaida, the spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, stated in a televised statement last night that the famine casting its shadow over all aspects of Gaza’s society has also reached the Israeli prisoners held by the Palestinian resistance, with some of their lives now threatened by illness, food shortages, and lack of medicine.

During an exclusive speech broadcasted by Al-Jazeera, Abu Obaida emphasized that “the sick and terrorist mentality of the occupation has surpassed the cruelty of the [pre-WW2] Nazis, turning into a deliberate war of starvation. In this war, the world witnesses the killing of fathers seeking to provide for their children, the starvation and death of children, marking an unprecedented and atrocious war crime.”

Regarding the speculated progress or breakthrough in the negotiations for a ceasefire, Abu Obaida stated that the Israeli government “uses deceit and evasion in negotiations, characterized by confusion and disarray.” He affirmed that “the highest priority for the resistance to accomplish a prisoner exchange is the complete cessation of aggression, including the withdrawal of occupation forces, the return of the displaced, and the initiation of reconstruction.”

Addressing the families of Israeli occupation prisoners in Gaza, Abu Obaida conveyed that “if they care about the lives of their loved ones, they must be aware that their government and the war cabinet manipulate the lives of their sons.” He added, “The ball is in their court to save those who can be saved from them.”

Double standards

In this context, Abu Obaida pointed out that the “lamentations of the U.S. administration” over limited numbers of Israeli occupation prisoners, while ignoring the genocide and holocaust suffered by the Palestinian people, as well as the neglect of thousands of their sons imprisoned, confirms the double standards and lack of concern for human rights or any alleged international law.

The Al-Qassam spokesperson revealed that the occupation had planned its “barbaric” aggression in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem before October 7th of last year (the Al-Aqsa Flood), based on an alleged Torah legacy that openly calls for burning other nations.

He added that the Palestinian people, facing an “unprecedented Zionist-American aggression in history,” presented “the epic of October 7th in response to continuous aggression for decades, culminating in an attempt to Judaize and demolish Al-Aqsa Mosque.” He affirmed that this battle establishes a new phase worldwide, with the slogan “rights are not obtained except through force.”

Regarding the field situation, Abu Obaida stated that the resistance, continuing its fight for the 154th day, has inflicted significant losses on the Israeli occupation forces, including officers, soldiers, and vehicles. He mentioned that a large number of operations were carried out during the last three weeks, “trapping the enemy in well-prepared ambushes in combat areas.”

Abu Obaida called on the people of Palestine in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and in 1948-occupied Palestine to mobilize, march towards Al-Aqsa, stand fast, and not allow the imposition of facts on the ground.