Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 2, 2022
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 2, 2022
Hamas chief threatens kidnapping of Israelis if no prisoner swap reached
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Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks during a press conference after meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, at the presidential palace, in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, June 28, 2021. (Dalati Nohra/Lebanese Official Government via AP)
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh says that if Israel does not come to a prisoner accord with the terror group, it will kidnap more Israelis.
“We have four prisoners, and if Israel is not convinced by that, then we will add to our stash,” Haniyeh says in comments circulated in official Hamas media.
Israel and Hamas have held indirect talks in an attempt to reach a prisoner exchange for years. The terror group holds two live Israeli captives and the bodies of two Israeli soldiers. Repeated negotiation attempts have failed to bear fruit.
According to Hamas-affiliated websites, Haniyeh’s remarks were made during an interview with the Qatari state-backed Al Jazeera news network that is set to air later tonight.
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