Al-Qaeda adviser calls for Hamas to free hostages, says attention overshadowing fate of Palestinian prisoners

The online declaration was made yesterday by Mustafa Hamid, also known as Abu Walid al-Masri, who is the father-in-law of Saif al-Adel, the man widely believed to now head Al-Qaeda, according to SITE.

Hamas must now “immediately” return the hostages and their bodies, and “this file must be closed and not opened again, as we know its consequences,” according to the statement.

“No one cares about the Palestinian prisoners, neither in the media, in negotiations, nor in demonstrations,” it adds.

The group, which has spawned regional affiliates in Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Mali, has little leverage over Hamas, which is backed by Iran.