An Israeli delegation in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, discussed this Wednesday (10) the possibility of reaching a truce of 21 to 30 days in the Gaza Strip through the exchange of hostages from the terrorist group Hamas for Palestinian inmates who are imprisoned in Israel, Egyptian security sources told EFE.
The sources, who requested anonymity, said the talks focused on the “likelihood” of Hamas releasing around 40 civilian hostages – mainly elderly, wounded, women and minors – in exchange for the release of “hundreds of Palestinian prisoners” and of a truce in Gaza between 21 and 30 days.
During the negotiations, in which the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel, participated, the “withdrawal of Israeli forces units from the center of the Gaza Strip towards the border” was also discussed, as well as the increase in humanitarian aid entering the enclave besieged Palestinian.
Furthermore, the possibility of the “return of several displaced people” to the north of the Strip was raised, after more than 85% of Gazans had to leave their homes since the start of the war three months ago.
The sources said negotiations were now focusing on the “characteristics of the Palestinian prisoners” who would be released by Israel, noting that they would all be low profile.
If completed, that deal would be followed by another to release “all” hostages in Gaza in exchange for “an unspecified number” of Palestinian prisoners.
In this “final phase”, the release of high-ranking members of the Palestinian Fatah movement, such as Marwan Barghouti, and high-ranking Hamas officials, such as Abdullah al-Barghouti, Hasan Salama, Abbas al-Sayed and Ibrahim Hamed, would be negotiated, among others, sources said.
In late November 2023, a week-long truce brokered by Egypt and Qatar led to the release of 110 Gaza hostages – 86 Israelis and 24 foreigners – in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli penitentiaries.
Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups kidnapped around 250 people in Israel and took them to Gaza after the terrorist attack that killed around 1,200 people in the country on October 7 last year, triggering the Jewish State's counteroffensive, which aims to eliminate Hamas.
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