Hamas official appears to rule out partial prisoner exchange

A senior Hamas official appears to rule out the possibility of a partial exchange of hostages, saying that the terror group is demanding a “complete exchange” of Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails.

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Lebanon, says in a speech last night night that “our position on the prisoner file has been clear from the start, and it is a complete exchange of prisoners.”

He denies rumors about ongoing talks for a partial release and adds that negotiations for the release of hostages holding foreign passports are proceeding in parallel but are “obstructed” by Israel.

He calls to ensure the free movement of people inside the Gaza Strip who are collecting information about hostages being held in various locations, and demands that any proposal guarantee the safety of the captors.