The deputy leader of the Hamas political executive Saleh al-Arouri stated Saturday that "there is currently no negotiation regarding a ceasefire, nor release of captives until war ends."
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In an interview with Al Jazeera al-Arouri added "The remaining prisoners in Gaza include soldiers and civilians serving in the occupying army. We've stated that we are capable of exchanging bodies for bodies in the hands of the Israelis, but it will take time. From our perspective, the elderly Israeli captives are considered soldiers since some of them are still in reserves. The occupation has decided not to renew the exchange deal under new standards."
"Our Zionist prisoners will not be released until all of our prisoners are freed and after a ceasefire. The resistance is persistent against all scenarios of the Israeli army, whether ground, air, or others. The Israeli occupation has failed in the first strategic line of uprooting the Palestinian people. We are confident that the West Bank will participate in the ongoing struggle."
Meanwhile, also on Saturday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Hamas broke the ceasefire agreement, and "refused to release 15 women, and 2 children" still held captive in the Gaza Strip, thus he ordered to resume fighting on Friday. "We are continuing exactly where we left off."
Gallant also said he conducted aerial and ground tours of Gaza in the past two days, describing the outcomes of the IDF's renewed offensive as "very impressive."
Gallant added, "Hamas thought its forces could stop the IDF. Today, every brigade general in Khan Yunis knows what happened and what awaits them. What stands between the IDF's success and the dismantling of their brigade is only what the IDF will do, not what Hamas decides."
"Hamas blatantly violated the agreement we reached. It's our duty and top mission to bring the captives alive, and the way to achieve it is through aggressive action. No army in the world was able to bring back 110 hostages alive from a terror organization. We achieved it because of the strength of the IDF," Gallant says.