Hamas says it will not discuss returning bodies without truce

A senior Hamas official says that Hamas will not discuss returning the bodies of IDF soldiers to Israel without a long-term ceasefire, Palestinian news agency Maan reports.

Ahmed Yousef, a senior advisor to former Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, says that “there are European and international parties who are interested in moderating the issue, but we will not discuss it as long as there is no agreement for a long-term ceasefire.”

Yousef also praises Iran for its central role in developing Hamas’s military capabilities. “A big part of our military knowledge and weapons came from Iran. Tehran assisted us greatly in developing the organization’s rocket capabilities.”