CAIRO: A Hamas’ Political Bureau member said that more than 100 Israeli citizens, including high-ranking military officials, were captured and moved to the Gaza Strip, reported Sputnik.
“More than a hundred. Among them are high-ranking officers,” the member of the Political Bureau told Al-Ghad broadcaster when asked about the number of captured Israelis.
At the same time, an Israeli official, commenting on media reports about Egypt’s alleged mediation in negotiations with Hamas on the release of captive Israelis, said that Israel is not conducting any negotiations regarding the prisoners, The Times of Israel newspaper reported.
Earlier in the day, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem told Sputnik that negotiations over captured Israeli soldiers would occur after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’s end.
Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning. The Israeli army said Hamas fired more than 3,000 rockets, adding that dozens of Hamas troops infiltrated border areas in southern Israel.
The Israeli military has since sent troops to the southern territories to reconquer them from the Palestinian forces and has started conducting strikes at Hamas’ positions in Gaza.
The Israeli government announced on Sunday that it had invoked Article 40 of the Basic Law, which means the country officially entered a state of war. – BERNAMA-SPUTNIK
