Deputy commander of Hamas' military wing, Marwan Issa, was interviewed for an investigative journalism program on Al Jazeera, Sunday. In the interview, which includes an audio recording that the terrorist organization says is one of its Israeli captives speaking, the Hamas official said the group aspired to kidnap soldiers to "increase the yield" of a prisoner exchange deal.
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Israeli officials see the Al Jazeera report as a sign Hamas understands they won't get much out of negotiations that do not include the release of fallen Israeli soldiers and captive citizens currently being held.
Video: Al Jazeera
Special negotiator for hostages and prisoners of war Yaron Blum said: "Hamas is in distress following the tough blows it received in Operation Guardian of the Walls and is making here an attempt toward cheap and transparent manipulation. Israel is well aware of the state of the boys [fallen IDF soldiers] Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, may their memory be a blessing, as well as the two [captive] citizens, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who crossed the border alive. The State of Israel will continue to act with determination and responsibility to return the boys and the civilians."
In the recording played on the Al Jazeera program, the Israeli hostage is purportedly heard saying: "I am an Israeli soldier being held captive by Izzedine al-Qassam. I hope the State of Israel still exists. I wonder whether the country's leaders think about the captive soldier. Are they worrying about him and his release? Every day, I die anew. I hope to be back with my family soon. Help."
On Sunday, Israel Hayom reported that Israeli officials believe it will be possible to reach a prisoner exchange deal in the coming weeks or months. Officials are cautiously optimistic following a change in Israeli policy adopted at the end of the IDF operation in the Gaza Strip. Within the new framework of negotiations, Israel will adopt a "basic" humanitarian approach to Gaza's reconstruction until a long-term ceasefire agreement that resolves the issue of the Israeli captives and fallen soldier is reached.
Also in the Al Jazeera interview, Issa revealed that Hamas terrorist mastermind Mohammed Deif had been injured in an Israeli assassination attempt.
"We waged the campaign intelligently, and we moved between one place and another since we were given to assassination attempts. A few of the military council's commanders, among them Mohammed Deif, were injured," he said.
Hamas also released new video footage of Gilad Schalit, who was captured by operatives in a cross-border raid in June 2006 and held captive in Gaza for over five years.
Gaza City Brigade Commander Bassem Issa, who was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike, played a significant role in the Schalit abduction. Schalit was eventually released as part of a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas in which 1,027 convicted terrorists were freed.
A substantial portion of the Al Jazeera program focused on the kidnapping of Schalit and efforts to secure his release. According to Issa, Israel repeatedly attempted to kidnap Hamas leaders and offered to pay anyone willing to provide information on his situation.
According to the senior Hamas official, Israel planned to carry out operations to free him from captivity, but "its efforts failed."
He said: "We relayed misleading information to the occupation about Schalit and we thwarted significant operations such as the kidnapping of [senior commanders in Hamas' military wing Ahmed] Al Jabaria and [Raed] Al Atar."
"The Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and international representatives aspired to end the captive case of Gilad Schalit in a peaceful manner," he said.
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