Hamas urges kidnappings of Israelis

Hamas official Khalil al-Haya, speaking on the occasion of Palestinian Prisoner Day, says “We tell the Zionist enemy: You are all targets for us and for our resistance, we will fight you until we get rid of you for good and we will take as many prisoners as possible to liberate our heroes.”

“Our men, our women, our children always think of kidnapping your soldiers and settlers, wherever they may be,” Haya tells hundreds of Palestinian who gather for a ceremony in Gaza. “It is our right, since we have no other means of liberating our heroes and it is the Zionist enemy’s fault that this is the state of affairs.”

“We say to our prisoners, rest assured! For the Palestinian resistance, with the Izz ad-Din al Qassam Brigades at the front line, can liberate you like they liberated your brothers” in 2011, he adds, alluding to the prisoner exchange for the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

“The resistance will not rest until it has totally emptied Israeli prisons of all Palestinian prisoners,” says Ahmed al-Moudalal, from Islamic Jihad, standing alongside Haya.

— AFP