by Saud Abu Ramadan, Emad Drimly

GAZA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip aims to press the Israeli new government to reach a prisoner exchange deal with it, by releasing a video clip of an Israeli captive, analysts said.

On Monday, the Hamas armed wing, known as the Al-Qassam Brigades, released a 44-second video clip on its website of Avera Mengistu, the Israeli captive in the Gaza Strip.

"How long will my comrades and I remain here in captivity? Where is the state and people of Israel from our fate?" Mengistu asked in the video, prodding the new Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take action to rescue him and other captured Israelis.

The Hamas move coincided with the inauguration of Herzi Halevi as the new Israeli army chief of staff to succeed Aviv Kochavi.

"The new Israeli army chief of staff should prepare himself to carry the burdens and consequences of his predecessor's failure," Hamas said in the video.

Commenting on the video, Mengistu's family said that the clip is new evidence that Mengistu, who crossed into Gaza in 2014, is still alive and the state "must move quickly to bring him home."

MESSAGE TO ISRAELI GOVERNMENT

Hussam Al-Dajjani, a Gaza-based political analyst, told Xinhua that Hamas apparently aimed to send a message to the new Israeli government by releasing the video clip.

Hamas seeks to break the stalemate on the issue of reaching a prisoner exchange deal with Israel by putting pressure on Netanyahu, he said.

Al-Dajjani believed that Mengistu's mentioning of "comrades" indicates that Hamas is also keeping Israeli soldiers in captivity, which means that two missing soldiers, Shaul Aron or Hadar Goldin, "might be alive." The two were held captive during the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in 2014, while Israel said they were killed.

Compared to what Israel did in 2011 to rescue Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was detained by Hamas in Gaza for five years, by reaching a prisoner swap deal with Hamas, the inaction by the government this time will lead to a rift in the Israeli society.

Al-Dajjani said that "the Al-Qassam Brigades may take some steps that would complete an exchange deal, as the aim behind it is to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and reach understandings that will end the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip that has been going on for 16 years."

He said reaching a prisoners exchange deal "is possible in the presence of Netanyahu, who is a strong figure and can make decisions since he holds 64 seats in the Israeli Knesset (parliament) and has a strong government."

It is the second time that the Al-Qassam Brigades has shown video clips of Israeli captives. In June 2022, Hamas showed for the first time a short clip of Hisham Al-Sayed, a 33-year-old Israeli-Arab, who was bedridden and attached to a respirator.

In the video, a TV screen, which was next to him, broadcasted the Qatari channel Al-Jazeera to demonstrate the fresh date of the video.

Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Hazem Qassem, said that Israel "will not see its captured soldiers in Gaza until an honorable exchange deal is achieved."

The video clip confirms the seriousness of the Al-Qassam Brigades in seeking a prisoner exchange deal and "also shows that the Israeli government is practicing procrastination to the public on the status and health of the prisoners held by Al-Qassam," he said.

MESSAGE TO ISRAELI SOCIETY

Mukhaimer Abu Saada, a political science professor at the Al-Azhar University in Gaza, told Xinhua that Mengistu's appearance shows the new Israeli government headed by Netanyahu "that the heavy legacy of the previous government regarding the prisoners' file is still present."

Mengistu appeared in the video in good health, contrary to what Israeli officials say that he is mentally ill, Abu Saada noted, adding that the timing was related to what is happening within Israeli society.

Mengistu's appearance at this time will create pressure on the Netanyahu government, because he is of Ethiopian origin, analysts said.

Abu Saada believed that the video clip "is a serious message to the Israeli community to put pressure on the Israeli government and the new chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, to move the file and reach a prisoner exchange deal before Hamas closes this file permanently."

In December, Hamas leader of the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, threatened to permanently end its prisoner exchange negotiations with Israel in response to its procrastination.

"In the face of the occupation's procrastination, we announce that we will give it a limited time, otherwise, we will close the file of exchange negotiations forever and ever, and we will find another way to liberate our families," Sinwar said at the time.

Under the previous government headed by Netanyahu, Israel once concluded a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas under the auspices of Egypt in 2011.

The deal included Hamas' release of Shalit, who was captured in 2006, in exchange for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons in two batches.

According to Palestinian human rights organizations, Israel is currently detaining about 4,700 Palestinian prisoners, including 200 who are in a chronic condition that needs continuous treatment. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)