BEIRUT, October 19. /TASS/. The radical organization Hamas is holding a large group of Israeli hostages in captivity to exchange them for 5,200 Palestinians that are in held prisons, said Hisham Qasem, a member of the Hamas leadership abroad.

"Israeli prisoners are a real opportunity for us to secure the release of Palestinians who were arrested by the occupation authorities for participating in the resistance," Qasem said on Telegram.

He did not say whether the organization was negotiating a prisoner exchange with Israel.

The Hamas official said the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7 was "a continuation of the jihad in response to the desecration of the Jerusalem mosque by Jewish settlers and the illegal seizure of Palestinian land." He said that "despite Israeli strikes on populated areas in the Gaza Strip, Hamas has managed to keep its fighters safe and the war with Israel will continue until it gets rid of the occupation."

"The longer the fighting goes on, the higher the number of captives will be," Qasem warned.

According to Al Jazeera television, the number of Israeli hostages could be as high as 250, including Israeli military officers, soldiers and civilians. Human rights organization Al-Dameer said 5,200 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, including 33 women and 170 minors, and more than 1,200 more are in administrative detention.