Hamas taunts IDF, promises to liberate more Palestinian prisoners

As Israel marked the first anniversary of the release of Hamas captive Gilad Shalit, the Gaza-based terror organization threatened more actions to “liberate” Palestinian prisoners.

At a press conference held at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Thursday, the spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, Abu Obeida, pledged the organization would release all of the Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

“I promise to release all the prisoners from Israeli prison,” Obeida said. “It is our top priority.”

Obeida added that any future deals would include all the prisoners that Israel refused to release in return for Shalit.

Shalit, who was captured inside Israel’s border with Gaza by Hamas’s military wing Izz ad-Din al-Qassam (Al-Qassam brigades) in 2006, was finally released in 2011 in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Israel refused to include several top terrorists in the deal.

“The theory of the solider safe inside his fort has been shattered,” Obeida said. “The enemy soldiers can at any moment be killed, or captured, or made disabled, regardless of the weapons they have, because they are facing the soldiers of God.”

Hamas was also releasing a film on Thursday that it said tells the story of Shalit’s capture from a military position on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza. On Wednesday night Israeli Channel 10 broadcast an interview with Shalit in which he spoke of his capture, release, and efforts to return to normal life.