Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Martyr Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) - said that the number of Israeli prisoners held by the Palestinian resistance is between 200 and 250 prisoners. Al-Qassam has about 200 prisoners and the rest are distributed among other components of the resistance.

Abu Ubaida added in a video recording that 22 prisoners have so far lost their lives due to the violent Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip, and the last of the Israeli prisoners to be killed as a result of the bombing is the artist Guy Olives.

He added, "We assure the whole world and everyone who wants to intervene in the prisoners' issue, and to our prisoners and their families, that we are determined to bring joy, God willing, to every Palestinian home, and this is a promise we made to ourselves."

He acknowledged the presence of detainees of other nationalities - whose identities are difficult to verify in the battle - stressing that they are guests of the Palestinian people.

He continued, "Foreign prisoners will be released when field conditions permit, and we call on all countries of the world to warn holders of their nationalities against fighting in the enemy's army."

Al-Qassam spokesman said that the Israeli occupation, which is accustomed to violating the sanctities of countries and peoples without accountability or oversight, did not expect that an Arab force besieged in Gaza would deal it the harshest blow in its history.

Abu Ubaida stressed that the occupation army, from the first day of this battle, resorted to barbaric and brutal aggression against the Palestinian people instead of confronting the fighters in the field.

He stressed that "the occupation's threat to engage in a ground aggression against our people does not intimidate us, and will be a new opportunity to hold it harshly accountable for the crimes it commits against us."

Abu Ubaida saluted the Palestinian people everywhere they are, their mujahideen in all squares, and the masses rising up to reject the Israeli aggression in all parts of the earth.

Source: Al Jazeera