Hamas Nixes Prisoner Deal, But Willing To Exchange Rockets On Israel For Destruction Of Gaza

Hamas is also considering the use of further automotive terrorist attacks and suicide bombings to sweeten the deal.

Gaza City, February 5 – The Islamist militant organization that governs the Gaza Strip rejected a proposal last week to free some of its members imprisoned in Israel in exchange for the release of two Israelis held in Gaza, but insisted it remains open to trading volleys of missiles fired at Israel for artillery and bombs that would rain destruction down on the coastal territory.

A representative of Hamas told Egyptian mediators yesterday (Saturday) that the group would not pursue the suggestion that it return Avera Mengistu, a mentally unstable Israeli who crossed into the Gaza Strip in 2014, and Hisham al-Sayed, an Israeli Bedouin, in exchange for the release of Hamas militants in Israeli prisons. However, noted the spokesman, representatives of the movement stressed to the Egyptians that Hamas remains open to a larger-scale exchange with Israel, whereby tens of thousands of Iranian, Chinese, and locally-made rockets and mortar shells would be sent in the air toward Israeli cities and towns, in return for which Israel would deploy large numbers of high-explosive bombs, tank shells, artillery barrages, air-to-surface missiles, and other ordnance on targets in the Gaza Strip.

Blomi Awe’i told journalists from the Chinese Xinhua news agency that the movement aims to secure a larger-scale exchange than a swap involving prisoners. “The Resistance refuses to negotiate little details with the illegitimate Zionist Entity,” he was quoted as saying. “We operate on an epic scale.” Awe’i added that Hamas was willing to show some flexibility, and include in the package the use of infiltration tunnels to attack Israeli civilians and soldiers beyond the border, and was also considering the use of further automotive terrorist attacks and suicide bombings to sweeten the deal.

Experts urged Israel to take the offer seriously. “Precedent demonstrates Hamas has the capacity to make good on such a deal, so you can’t dismiss this as mere bluster,” cautioned Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister. “I, for one, would love to see this offer accepted – so much so, in fact, that if Hamas feels it lacks the resources to provide a sufficient quantity of rocket attacks, I’m authorized to supply them with as many weapons as necessary to make the exchange happen.”

Gaza residents expressed doubts as to whether such a deal will occur anytime soon. “I’m not holding out for this to happen this week or anything,” commented Ali Masri, 45, who remains homeless since the last such exchange in the summer of 2014, since Hamas has not approved reconstruction of his home. “I’d say they should only cut a deal of this kind if they can guarantee at least a million people dead, injured, or homeless – but it’s not likely to happen this winter, when cold and inclement weather would actually affect people with no roof over their heads. That’s a shame, since it’s a far cry from what we’ve come to expect from Hamas.”

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