Hamas Affirms No Trade Of Hostage Exchange Before The War In Gaza Ends

Khalil al-Hayya. (Source: IRNA)

JAKARTA - Hamas' interim leader in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, said in a statement broadcast on Wednesday that there would be no agreement on the exchange of hostages with detainees with Israel unless the war in the Palestinian enclave ended.

"Without the end of the war, there would be no exchange of prisoners," Hayya said in an interview broadcast on television on the group's Al-Aqsa television channel, reaffirming the group's position on how to end the war.

"If the aggression is not ended, why resistance and in particular Hamas, return the prisoner?" asked al-Hayya.

"How can a sane or crazy person lose his strong card while the war continues?" he said.

Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire for Gaza have stalled. The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an unconditional permanent ceasefire.

Washington's ambassador to the United Nations said the US would only support a resolution that explicitly calls for the immediate release of Israeli hostages as part of the ceasefire.

Hayya, who led the group's negotiating team in talks with mediators Qatar and Egypt, blamed the lack of progress on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who in turn thought the Islamist group was responsible for stalled talks.

"There is ongoing contact with several countries and mediators to revive this file (negotiation). We are ready to continue the effort but what is more important is to see a real desire on the occupation side to end the aggression," Hayya said.

"Reality proves, Netanyahu is the one who damaged (the negotiations)," he added.

Earlier, speaking during a visit to Gaza on Tuesday, PM Netanyahu said Hamas would not rule the Palestinian enclave after the war ended, claiming Israel had destroyed the Islamic group's military capabilities.

PM Netanyahu also said Israel had not given up on efforts to find the remaining 101 hostages believed to be still in the enclave, offering a $5 million reward for the return of each hostage.