A day after a ceasefire was reached in Gaza following three-day battle, Islamic Jihad resistance group reportedly warned on Monday it may resume fighting unless the Zionist entity agrees to release two of its members, as stipulated by the Egypt-brokered ceasefire.
According to a report by Israeli Channel 12 on Monday, the Islamic Jihad distributed pamphlets to residents of the besieged Palestinian enclave, saying its fighters were willing to renew the conflict unless the Zionist entity releases Bassam Al-Saadi, the head of the organization’s activities in the West Bank, and Khalil Awawdeh, who is currently on a hunger strike in protest of his administrative detention by the occupation regime.
The Palestinian resistance group announced on Sunday it had agreed to the ceasefire after promises by Egypt that the Israeli occupation regime would release Al-Saadi and Awawdeh.
“From the very beginning, we insisted that the two leaders be freed — the brother on hunger strike, and Bassam Al-Saadi,” said Islamic Jihad Secretary General Ziad Nakhaleh in an interview that aired on Palestine Today television network.
Nakhaleh said the Zionist authorities had agreed to release Awawdeh and Al-Saadi “with explicit Egyptian guarantees.” Later on Monday, Islamic Jihad senior member Mohamamd Al-Hindi said the group is questioning Egypt after Israeli officials started to clear the occupation regime of promises to release Al-Saadi and Awawdeh.
Israeli media reported on Tuesday that the occupation regime is refusing demands of their release, with Times of Israel reporting that Tel Aviv “is a wider opening to negotiate with Hamas, as well as Islamic Jihad, in the aftermath of the Gaza operation (3-day aggression) to resume stalled prisoner exchange talks.” The Hamas resistance group holds two Israelis as well as the bodies of two Israeli soldiers.