Hamas prepared to resume talks on release of prisoners
Palestinian Territories – AFP
Qatari mediators have told Israel that Hamas is prepared to resume talks on new releases of Israeli prisoners in exchange for a ceasefire, according to US news outlet Axios and Israeli website Ynet, which cited unnamed Israeli officials.
A Hamas delegation was in Cairo on Friday to discuss an Egyptian plan proposing renewable ceasefires, a staggered exchange of prisoners, and ultimately an end to the war, sources close to Hamas said.
Islamic Jihad, another armed group fighting alongside Hamas, said on Saturday that Palestinian factions were “in the process” of evaluating the Egyptian proposal.
A response will come “within days”, the group’s chief negotiator, Muhammad al-Hindi, said.
Asked about the negotiations on Saturday, Netanyahu said Hamas had been “giving all kinds of ultimatums that we didn’t accept”.
“We are seeing a certain shift (but) I don’t want to create an expectation.”
Israel and Hamas exchanged dozens of prisoners during the course of a one-week suspension of Israeli attacks in Gaza a month ago. While Israel has thousands of Palestinians in its prisons, many of them under its notorious administrative detention policy — without charge and trial — Hamas is said to have 129 Israelis in its captivity.
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