An adviser to al-Qaida's presumed current leader has urged Hamas to release Israeli hostages held in Gaza, according to SITE, an American extremist tracking organization. The statement, made by Mustafa Hamid, also known as Abu Walid al-Masri, was released online on Friday and monitored by SITE.
Hamid, who is the father-in-law of Saif al-Adel, widely believed to be the current head of al-Qaida, expressed concern that the focus on recovering Israeli hostages, both alive and deceased, was overshadowing the plight of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
In his statement, Hamid praised Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader and the mastermind behind the deadly Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing conflict in Gaza, whom Israel recently eliminated.
"Hamas must now 'immediately' return the hostages and their bodies, and this file must be closed and not opened again, as we know its consequences," Hamid stated. He added, "No one cares about the Palestinian prisoners, neither in the media, in negotiations, nor in demonstrations."
The Oct. 7 attack resulted in Hamas capturing 251 hostages. Since then, several have been found dead, while others were released during a brief ceasefire in December. Currently, 101 hostages remain in the hands of the terrorist group.
al-Qaida, the organization responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US, was the primary target of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. The group's former leader, Osama bin Laden, was killed by US special forces in Pakistan in 2011. His successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri, met a similar fate in a US drone strike in July 2022.
Despite these setbacks, the core al-Qaida organization continues to operate. Experts consulted by AFP suggest that Hamid maintains close ties with high-ranking members of al-Qaida's central leadership.
While al-Qaida has spawned regional affiliates in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Mali, it holds little sway over Hamas, which receives backing from Iran. On Friday, Hamas reaffirmed its stance, vowing not to release any hostages until the Gaza war concludes. Analysts note that the absence of a named successor to Sinwar and the resulting leadership vacuum within Hamas may complicate negotiations for the hostages' release.
