Haniyeh has dismissed the possibility of new negotiations over prisoner swap with the Zionist entity, unless Tel Aviv releases dozens of Palestinian prisoners it has rearrested after a previous exchange deal.

The Prime Minister of Hamas government, Ismail Haniyeh has dismissed the possibility of new negotiations over prisoner swap with the Zionist entity, unless Tel Aviv releases dozens of Palestinian prisoners it has rearrested after a previous exchange deal.

During a speech marking the Eid al-Fitr holiday, Haniyeh said that Israel has rearrested at least 54 inmates freed in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

"We have told all the mediators who have mobilized to discuss a new exchange that there won't be any negotiations before the release of all those Israel detained from among the Shalit deal group.”

"There will be no talks without their unconditional release,” Haniyeh added.
The comments came after Israel claimed earlier this month that two Israelis are being held in Gaza Strip. But Hamas has not reacted to these allegations.

Israeli authorities claimed that Avraham Mengistu, an Ethiopian Israeli, along with another one are being held in the enclave.

Mengistu is said to have disappeared after he “independently” entered Gaza on September 7, 2014, two weeks after the end of latest Israeli war on Gaza last summer.

The second man, whose name has not been released, is a Bedouin Arab. Israeli officials have not specified how long he has been in Gaza or how he got there.