CAIRO: The Palestinian movement Hamas has informed all interested parties that it does not plan to engage in talks about the fate of its Israeli hostages as long as fighting continues, Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh said.
"We have informed all parties that the cases of our Israeli captives will not be opened until fighting ends," he noted, as cited by the Al Hadath TV channel.
Haniyeh added that "it will only be possible to resolve the issue of captive Israelis on Hamas terms."
BHANGA, Faridpur: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today crossed the mighty river Padma by a special train through the Padma Bridge after she formally opened the 82-km railway track from Dhaka to Bhanga, touching another millstone to boost the country economy.
The premier unveiled a plaque of the rail link from Dhaka to Bhanga digitally by pressing a switch at a civic rally at Mawa Railway Station in Munshiganj at 12.24pm.
After launching the new train service, the premier along with her younger sister Sheikh Rehana took a ride on a special train from Mawa to attend a grand rally at Dr Kazi Abu Yusuf Stadium here.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today reiterated her commitment to hold next polls in a free and fair manner as visiting State Secretary for International Development Cooperation of Sweden Foreign Ministry Diana Janse called on her at her office here.
"We are committed to holding the next general election in a free and fair manner," PM Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted her as saying in a media briefing after the meeting.
According to Karim, the Swedish state minister said they wanted a free and fair election in Bangladesh.
Palestinian Islamist group Hamas is not open to negotiating a prisoner exchange with Israel during hostilities, a member of the militants political office in Doha said Monday.
"The military operation is still continuing... therefore there is currently no chance for negotiation on the issue of prisoners or anything else," Hossam Badran, a Hamas official, told AFP from Doha.
"Our mission now is to make every effort to prevent the occupation from continuing to commit massacres against our people in Gaza, which directly target civilian homes," he added.