“They killed some of them directly with live fire”…Senior Hamas official states that Israel killed Israeli prisoners, calls for genuine prisoner exchange

Gaza (Quds News Network)— Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior member of Hamas and the head of its negotiation team, has condemned Israel’s actions, stating that they are responsible for the deaths of six Israeli prisoners in Gaza. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Al-Hayya stressed that these prisoners, along with others, could have been released alive through a genuine prisoner exchange deal. Instead, the Israeli military and the government of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endangered their lives by insisting on military action.

“Israel’s extreme government, led by Netanyahu, has shown no regard for the lives of these prisoners,” Al-Hayya stated. “Some of these prisoners were killed directly by Israeli forces, either through airstrikes or live fire. Netanyahu’s preference for military aggression over negotiations is clear, as he prioritizes strategic locations like Philadelphia Road over the lives of these prisoners.”

Al-Hayya highlighted that despite previous successful negotiations, which saw the return of over 115 Israelis and foreigners through Qatari mediation last November and December, Israel continues to reject meaningful exchange offers. He suggested that a genuine swap could save lives on both sides, rather than escalating violence.

Video Evidence and Diplomatic Channels

Al-Hayya mentioned an American-Israeli prisoner (Hersh Goldberg-Polin) whose family, supported by Qatari intermediaries, requested a video to ensure he was alive. “We responded to these humanitarian appeals,” Al-Hayya said. “We facilitated a video message for his family. But not long after, we lost contact with him due to a direct Israeli attack. Today, he is among the dead. This shows Israel’s reckless disregard for these lives.”

He further criticized the role of the United States, stating that Washington is impeding negotiations. Despite earlier indirect talks facilitated by intermediaries, Al-Hayya stated that the US backed out of its proposals. He also reealed that the Israeli government has frequently altered its conditions, thus stalling progress towards an agreement.

The Need for a Genuine Negotiation Approach

Al-Hayya reiterated that Hamas is ready to engage in immediate negotiations if Israel is willing to commit to a fair prisoner exchange. He pointed out past flexibility shown by Hamas, including reducing the number of Palestinian prisoners demanded in exchange for Israeli soldiers and civilians. “We offered significant concessions, reducing our demands from 500 to 50 prisoners in exchange for female soldiers, and from 250 to 30 for civilians,” he said.

Despite these concessions, Al-Hayya lamented that Israel continued to stall. He referenced a comprehensive agreement proposed by Egyptian mediators in May, which Hamas accepted, only for Israel to breach its terms by attacking the Rafah border crossing the next day. “The current state of negotiations is nothing but a stalling tactic, wasting time. Over the past two weeks, negotiations have been ongoing, but they are simply going around in circles with no real progress.”

“We are committed to the agreements made on July 2, based on the Israeli document accepted by the Americans. We cannot continue with negotiations that lead nowhere, while the Israelis refuse to make any real commitments.”

Israeli Government’s Changing Terms

Al-Hayya said that Netanyahu is deliberately disrupting the talks by introducing new terms inconsistent with previous agreements. He stated that the Israeli Prime Minister’s latest demands, including retaining control over key strategic points and refusing to release Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life, are obstructive.

“Without Israel’s withdrawal from strategic areas like Philadelphia Road and the Rafah border, and a commitment to halt the ongoing war, no agreement is possible,” Al-Hayya affirmed. He called on the international community to hold Israel accountable and to pressure it into adhering to previously agreed terms.

Resistance Against Occupation

The senior Hamas official concluded with a call for continued resistance against Israeli occupation, criticizing Israel’s actions in the West Bank, including settlement expansions and the demolition of Palestinian infrastructure. “The Israeli government’s support for settlers desecrating Al-Aqsa Mosque indicates its sponsorship of Zionist terrorism and extremism,” Al-Hayya argued. “Our people will not surrender to this colonial occupation. As long as there is oppression, there will be resistance. The Palestinian people have endured 76 years of occupation, and they will continue to resist until their rights are recognized.”