Hamas has not yet entered into “serious negotiations” to hammer out a new prisoner swap deal, member of Hamas Political Bureau Mahmoud al-Zahar.

The Hamas leader noted that the Israeli occupation has not respected the terms of the 2011 Wafa al-Ahrar Deal.

In a press release, al-Zahar added that his movement demanded the release of all detainees freed in Wafa al-Ahrar deal as a precondition to entering into a new prisoner-swap negotiations.   

The Israeli Occupation had released about 1000 Palestinian prisoners, 50 of whom were rearrested in 2014, in exchange for an Israeli soldier who was held by the Palestinian resistance in 2006.

Regarding Qatar’s role to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, al-Zahar hailed Qatar for its efforts, at the official and popular levels, to ease the Israeli siege on the impoverished territory.

The Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani pledged $150 million as humanitarian aid for Gaza  to alleviate the aggravating humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave.