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Hamas wants US prisoners freed alongside those in Israel as part of a deal the terrorist group could make to release dozens of hostages taken to Gaza.<\/p>\n
An exiled Hamas leader in Lebanon,\u00a0Ali Barakeh, said that the group would aim to secure the release of Palestinian\u00a0prisoners held in Israeli and American prisons. He has been the group’s leader in Lebanon for years and is in charge of coordinating other Palestinian groups there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without specifying who, he said: “There are Palestinians held in America. We will ask for their release.”<\/p>\n
In 2009, a court in Dallas sentenced two founding members of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, once the largest US Muslim charity, to 65 years in prison for funneling millions of dollars to Hamas.<\/p>\n
Three other men were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 20 years for conspiracy.<\/p>\n
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Barakeh added: “We have prepared well for this war and to deal with all scenarios, even the scenario of the long war.\u00a0We will bring life to a stop in the Zionist entity if the aggression does not stop on Gaza.”<\/p>\n
Barakeh said Hamas has so far employed only a small number of its own forces. He said nearly 2,000 Hamas fighters have taken part in the latest fighting, out of an army of 40,000 in Gaza alone.<\/p>\n
Hamas may also be able to count on its allies if it faces a major setback. On Sunday, Hezbollah fired several rockets and shells at three Israeli positions in a disputed area.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group claimed it sent four gunmen across Lebanon\u2019s border into Israel.<\/p>\n
The militants said they had wounded seven Israeli soldiers.\u00a0Israel\u00a0said its own forces shot and killed several gunmen who crossed into the country from Lebanon. It also shelled southern Lebanon in response.<\/p>\n
Barakeh\u00a0said even Hamas was shocked by the extent of the terrorist operation, dubbed “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm,” they carried out saying it had expected Israel to prevent or limit the attack.<\/p>\n
He said: “We were surprised by this great collapse. We were planning to make some gains and take prisoners to exchange them. This army was a paper tiger.”<\/p>\n
His claim that Hamas has only planned a small operation is belied by the fact that an estimated 1,000 fighters took part in the incursion, attacking by land, sea and even motorized paragliders.<\/p>\n
Israel has declared all-out war and vowed to punish Hamas like never before, and the mobilization of 300,000 Israeli reserves has raised the prospect of a ground invasion or even a reoccupation of Gaza.<\/p>\n
The Israeli military says it has already killed hundreds of militants and bombed numerous Hamas targets.<\/p>\n