A deal could soon be reached between Hamas and Israel on a prisoner exchange and a cease-fire in Gaza.
According to the Israeli newspaper “Haaretz”, an unnamed Hamas official said in an interview with the Arab media that “an agreement can be reached within a few days” between the parties regarding the new exchange of prisoners.
The official was quoted as saying that Hamas was willing to show flexibility regarding the number of Palestinian political prisoners to be released from Israeli jails.
Noting that Hamas will demand that humanitarian aid to Gaza continue and that all displaced Palestinians be allowed to return home, the official said an official statement may be made regarding the ceasefire, which would be implemented in six-week phases.
Egyptian media reported earlier on Sunday that the parties participating in the negotiations on the establishment of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip have arrived in Cairo to continue a new round of negotiations.
“Delegations from Hamas, Qatar and the United States of America (USA) arrived in Cairo to continue a new round of negotiations on a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip,” the Egyptian service “Cairo News Channel” reported without giving further details.
On Saturday, a high-ranking Egyptian source revealed to the same channel that intensive efforts are underway to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins in early March. There is significant progress in the negotiations and a fair deal is being sought, the same source said.
On February 24, Egyptian media announced that expert-level talks had resumed in Doha, noting that meetings in Cairo would follow.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza rose by 90 in the past 24 hours, reaching 30,410.
