Hamas is willing to Negotiate Prisoner Swap with Israel

Addis Ababa, June 01, 2021 (Walta) – Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, announced on Monday that the terror group was prepared for “immediate” negotiations with Israel with regard to a prisoner exchange, according to Hebrew media reports.

The announcement came on the heels of a meeting in Gaza between Sinwar and an Egyptian delegation led by Maj. Gen. Abbas Kamel, the head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Directorate.

The previous day, Kamel met in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi arrived in Egypt to meet with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry. The visit is the first to Egypt by an Israeli foreign minister since 2008.  The talks between the two countries are focused on bolstering the ceasefire that ended 11 days of fighting between Israel and terrorist groups in Gaza.

Israel is demanding the return of two Israeli captives and the bodies of two IDF soldiers held by Hamas as a pre-condition for permitting the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip. During his meeting with Kamel, Netanyahu emphasized that the return of the captives was a top priority for Israel.

However, while Sinwar made clear his readiness for such negotiations, he intimated that Israel would have to pay a heavy price, according to the AP.

Egypt is acting as the mediator between the two sides in an effort to reach a long-term ceasefire.

“In the coming days we will be witness to talks in Cairo with the aim of reaching agreements on the issues at hand,” said Sinwar.

(Source – JNS)