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Hamas Threatens to Kidnap Israeli Soldiers after Failed ‘Prisoner Deal’

Hamas supporter in a march marking the 35tth anniversary of the founding of the group (AFP)
Hamas supporter in a march marking the 35tth anniversary of the founding of the group (AFP)
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Hamas Threatens to Kidnap Israeli Soldiers after Failed ‘Prisoner Deal’

Hamas supporter in a march marking the 35tth anniversary of the founding of the group (AFP)
Hamas supporter in a march marking the 35tth anniversary of the founding of the group (AFP)

Hamas on Monday hinted it was planning to kidnap Israeli soldiers after failing to negotiate a prisoner exchange deal with Israel, announced the spokesman for the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.

Abu Obeida said in an interview with a Hamas-affiliated website that the decision to increase the number of soldiers held by the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades remains effective and is being carried out.

He warned that the Israeli enemy would regret its intransigence regarding a new prisoner-exchange deal, and Tel Aviv's alleged refusal to release thousands of Palestinian security prisoners held in Israeli jails in return for the bodies of the soldiers.

The spokesman asserted that the leadership and the resistance would spare no effort and time to free the prisoners. He addressed the prisoners saying they were "a top priority," and their freedom was "a debt and a decision."

Last week, Hamas leaders made several similar threats during celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of the founding of Hamas.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar said the group gave Israel a limited time to complete the prisoner exchange deal. Otherwise, the group would "close the file of the four enemy prisoners forever and find another way to liberate our prisoners."

The first commander of the al-Qassam Brigade, Mohammed Deif, made a similar threat.

Hamas detained two Israeli soldiers in Gaza, Oron Shaul and Officer Hadar Goldin, captured by the al-Qassam Brigades during the war of 2014, while Israel said they were killed.

The movement also holds two Israeli citizens who crossed into Gaza on their own accord, including Avraham Mengistu (Ethiopian origin) and Hashem al-Sayid (an Arab from the Negev).

Negotiations between Israel and Hamas were done through Egyptian and German mediators, but they did not yield any results.

Israel claimed Hamas was asking for the release of 1,000 prisoners, while the movement said Tel Aviv was not serious and its leadership was not brave enough to reach a deal.

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Blinken Seeks to Avert Syria Turmoil with Europeans on Final Trip

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) met French FM Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris. Ludovic MARIN / POOL/AFP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) met French FM Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris. Ludovic MARIN / POOL/AFP
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Blinken Seeks to Avert Syria Turmoil with Europeans on Final Trip

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) met French FM Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris. Ludovic MARIN / POOL/AFP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) met French FM Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris. Ludovic MARIN / POOL/AFP

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was heading on Thursday to Rome for talks with European counterparts on bringing stability to Syria in the face of flare-ups with Türkiye, capping what is likely his final trip.
Blinken had been expected to remain in Italy through the weekend to join President Joe Biden but the outgoing US leader scrapped his trip, which was to include an audience with Pope Francis, to address wildfires sweeping Los Angeles.
Blinken, on a trip that has taken him to South Korea, Japan and France, was heading on Thursday from Paris and will meet for dinner in Rome with counterparts from Britain, France, Germany and Italy.
In Paris on Wednesday, Blinken said the United States was united with the Europeans on seeking a peaceful, stable Syria, a month after the opposition factions toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
But concerns have mounted over Türkiye’s threats against Syrian Kurdish fighters, who have effectively run their own state during the brutal civil war engulfing Syria.
A war monitor said that battles between Turkish-backed groups, supported by air strikes, and Kurdish-led forces killed 37 people on Thursday.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have worked with the United States on Washington's main stated priority -- battling the ISIS extremist group -- but Türkiye says the SDF has links with PKK militants at home.
Blinken in Paris said that Türkiye had "legitimate concerns" and that the SDF should gradually be integrated into a revamped national army, with foreign fighters removed.
"That's a process that's going to take some time. And in the meantime, what is profoundly not in the interest of everything positive we see happening in Syria would be a conflict," Blinken told reporters.
"We'll work very hard to make sure that that doesn't happen."
Blinken said he expected no change on goals in Syria from US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes over on January 20.
During his last term, Trump briefly said he would accede to a plea by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to pull out US troops that have been working in Syria with the Kurdish forces.
But he backed down after counter-appeals led by French President Emmanuel Macron.
When to ease sanctions?
Also on the agenda in Rome will be whether and when to ease sanctions on Syria.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday that some sanctions "could be lifted quickly".
The US Treasury Department said this week it would ease enforcement on restrictions that affect essential services.
But US officials say they will wait to see progress before any wider easing of sanctions -- and the Biden administration is unlikely in its final days to accept the political costs of removing Syria's victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels from the US "terrorism" blacklist.
While Western powers are largely in synch on Syria, some differences remain.
Blinken reiterated US calls on European countries to repatriate citizens of theirs detained in Syria for working with the ISIS group and languishing in vast camps run by the Kurdish fighters.
France and Britain, with painful memories of attacks by homegrown extremists, have little desire to bring militants back.
The Rome talks come a week after the French and German foreign ministers, Jean-Noel Barrot and Annalena Baerbock, jointly visited Damascus and met new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa to encourage an inclusive transition.
Sharaa, has promised to protect minorities after the fall of the iron-fisted but largely secular Assad.
A senior US official in turn said last month on meeting Sharaa that Washington was dropping a $10-million bounty on his head.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will pay his own visit to Syria on Friday, during which he plans to announce an initial development aid package.
Italy's hard-right government has pledged to reduce immigration. Millions of Syrians sought asylum in Europe during the civil war, triggering a backlash in some parts of the continent that shook up European politics.
In contrast to other major European powers, Italy had moved to normalize ties with Assad just weeks before he fell, presuming at the time that he had effectively won the war.