A spokesman for the Islamic Jihad terror organization, Muhammad al‑Khaj Musa, said in an interview with the newspaper Al‑Araby Al‑Jadeed that the group is willing to cooperate with the committee managing the Gaza Strip, headed by Ali Shaath, “in order to ease the suffering of the residents of the Strip."
However, Musa emphasized that there are reservations about the composition of the committee and the political framework behind it, which he claimed is backed by American sponsorship.
He voiced opposition to the structure of the “Board of Peace" established by US President Donald Trump, and stated that Islamic Jihad rejects any attempt at “international sponsorship over the Palestinian people," which he said is ultimately aimed at dismantling the military wings and their weapons.
Addressing the issue of the hostages, Musa claimed that Israel is responsible for the lack of progress. He further alleged that the body of Ran Gvili - the last hostage held by the organization - is located in a tunnel into which large amounts of concrete were poured by the IDF.
He said that retrieving the body “requires special engineering equipment," but claimed that Israel “is placing obstacles and conditions," including a demand to link the return of the body to progress in a future agreement.
Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, was to have returned all the hostages held in Gaza in Phase One of Trump’s Gaza plan, but Gvili’s body is still held by terrorists, while Hamas claims that it does not know where the body is.
Israel has provided critical information on the burial place of Gvili, but Hamas has ignored it.