In an interview with Al Jazeera, Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, has said the Palestinian group will not engage in further ceasefire discussions until Israel frees the 620 Palestinians who were supposed to be released on Saturday under the deal that took effect on January.

Here are some more of his comments:

  • We have fulfilled all our obligations according to the deal.
  • Unfortunately, all the time Netanyahu and his government have been trying to undermine and sabotage the deal.
  • They have committed a lot of violations — killed more than 100 Palestinians, prevented most of the basic needs of the Palestinians to enter the Gaza Strip, and lastly refused to release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners.
  • We have conveyed a clear and strong message to the mediators: We cannot continue talking or discussing any further steps if these 620 Palestinians are not released.

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