Islamic Jihad leader threatens to bolt hostage talks, wait for ‘better conditions’

Palestinian Islamic Jihad chief Ziad Nakhaleh threatens to bolt the ongoing hostage negotiations and wait for “better conditions” before moving forward.

The terror group is believed to be holding as many as 40 hostages from the total of 240. Hamas is believed to be holding some 180 hostages and unaffiliated mob families are believed to hold an additional 20, complicating Qatar-led negotiations significantly.

Nakhaleh says that “the conduct of negotiations with regard to the hostages that we detain and Israel’s reactions will probably push the Islamic Jihad out of the deal.”

“Islamic Jihad can keep its hostages [while waiting] for better conditions,” he adds.

Last Thursday, the group published for the first time evidence of the Israelis in its hands — clips showing an elderly woman and a young boy later identified as Hannah Katzir, 77, and Yagil Yaakov, 13, who were both kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7.