Islamic Jihad affirms Palestinian resistance, links captives release to Gaza war's end
Iran Press TV
Sunday, 11 May 2025 1:14 PM
Palestinian Islamic Jihad's deputy leader has said that resistance is inherent in the Palestinian identity, emphasizing the necessity of ending Israel's genocidal war in Gaza before considering the release of Israeli captives held in the besieged territory.
Mohammad al-Hindi said in an interview on Saturday that no more Israeli captives would be freed unless the US and regional mediators forced Israel to agree to a ceasefire deal ensuring the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and an end to the occupying regime's aggression on the Strip.
"We are not surrendering this single card in the hands of the resistance. The condition of the resistance is: We are prepared to implement a comprehensive deal—the release of all captives held in Gaza in exchange for an end to the war and withdrawal," Hindi told Drop Site, an independent news website on politics and war.
The senior Islamic Jihad official said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's threats that Hamas would be eliminated and that the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance would surrender were fantasy.
Hindi underlined that the regime's genocide in Gaza and its intensifying ethnic cleansing operations in the occupied West Bank may turn out to be tactical successes for Netanyahu's career-long agenda, but that focusing on the past 19 months conceals the fires yet to come.
"Resistance is in the DNA of the Palestinian people—they will not surrender," he said.
"There may come a day when Israel finds itself longing for Hamas. The anger that has accumulated among the people is immense and it could explode at any moment.
"And it's not just among the Palestinian people, but also among the people of the region and the free people of the world. There is anger, great anger. Israel no longer holds a monopoly on the image of the victim—it has come to be seen as the executioner."
The Islamic Jihad official said since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the 2-month ceasefire deal on March 18, Tel Aviv has put forth several unacceptable demands, among them the total disarmament of not just Hamas, but the entire Gaza Strip, as well as the expulsion of Palestinian resistance leaders from the territory.
"The biggest problem for the Israelis is the issue of weapons. Disarmament is an issue that no one can accept, neither the resistance nor the Palestinian people," Hindi said. "If the resistance ends with the surrender of weapons, they will implement the forced displacement of [Palestinians out of] Gaza."
The Islamic Jihad's deputy chief said while he is certain Hamas's negotiators will not enter into an agreement that fails to halt the Gaza genocide, he predicted Israel will ultimately be pressured to make concessions.
Hindi said Netanyahu's war aims and a lack of agreement on a permanent ceasefire can cause problems for US President Donald Trump's regional agenda and his desire to be seen as a deal-maker who can end Biden-era wars.
"I believe that internal pressure within Israel, as well as the US administration, which can exert some pressure, may result in an agreement, even if only partially," he said. "Trump made many promises, whether regarding the war in Gaza and stopping it or the war in Ukraine and stopping it, but he has not fulfilled any of his promises so far."
Hindi also stressed that Israel's genocidal war against Gaza unmasked the reality of what Palestinians have endured over the past 76 years of occupation.
"The entire world is witnessing these sacrifices and is thinking about the Palestinian issue, which was almost dead, about to cease to exist," he said.
"I believe that history is working against Israel—because of its arrogance, hubris, and the excessive force it uses against the Palestinian people and the entire region. From a historical perspective, I believe that Israel is losing, while the Palestinian cause is advancing."
The Israeli military launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing hundreds of people, injuring many others, and shattering a ceasefire agreement with Hamas and the deal on the exchange of Israeli captives with Palestinian prisoners after 19 months of atrocious onslaught.
The devastating Israeli war has so far killed at least 52,829 Palestinians and injured 119,554 others. Most of the victims have been women and children.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and the regime's former minister for military affairs, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Tel Aviv also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.
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