Gaza, March 3 -- Israel will only be able to "get its captives back" through a prisoner exchange deal, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said Sunday in a press statement.
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is delusional if he thinks he can achieve his goals through the starvation war imposed on the Gaza Strip," Mardawi said.
Mardawi reaffirmed Hamas's refusal to extend the first phase of the agreement with Israel, stressing the need to implement all its phases as originally signed.
He also called on mediators to ensure Israel adhered to the terms of the agreement, as agreed upon.
The first 42-day phase of the three-stage agreement between Hamas and Israel, which included increased humanitarian aid, expired on Saturday. ...