Haniyeh to visit Egypt Wednesday for Gaza ceasefire talks: source

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Dec 2023 00:05
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AFP cites a source as saying the discussions will be on stopping the war to prepare a prisoner swap deal and the end of the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh (AFP)

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh is set to visit Egypt Wednesday for talks on a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange with the Israeli occupation, AFP reported citing a source close to the Palestinian Resistance group.

The source told AFP on Tuesday that Haniyeh will head a "high-level" Hamas delegation to Egypt, where he is due to hold talks with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and others.

The discussions will be "on stopping the aggression and the war to prepare an agreement for the release of prisoners (and) the end of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip," the source indicated on condition of anonymity.

Under a week-long truce deal last month which Qatar helped negotiate, backed by Egypt and the United States, the Palestinian Resistance released 80 Israeli captives in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners arbitrarily held in Israeli jails.

According to the source, the talks in Egypt will focus on "the delivery of humanitarian aid, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip and the return of displaced persons to their towns and villages in the north."

Haniyeh's visit will be his second to Egypt since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7, following a trip in early November.

US news platform Axios on Monday reported that David Barnea, the head of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammead bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and CIA director Bill Burns in Europe to discuss a potential new prisoner exchange deal.

On Tuesday, Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had "just sent the head of Mossad to Europe twice to promote a process" to release the captives.

"I will spare no effort on the subject, and our duty is to bring them all back," he stressed in a statement.

Meeting with captives families on Tuesday, Netanyahu said, "saving them is a supreme task."

Earlier, Israeli occupation President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday announced that "Israel" is preparing for a new temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to secure the release of remaining captives.

Herzog claimed that "Israel" is willing to facilitate the entry of additional humanitarian aid for Gaza's residents.

"I can confirm the fact that Israel is ready for another humanitarian pause and additional humanitarian assistance to ensure the release of the hostages," he said at a briefing.

This comes as the Israeli-led genocide in Gaza has so far resulted in the martyrdom of over 19,400 Palestinians, with over 52,000 reported injured.

A couple of days ago, Hamas reiterated its stance, affirming its refusal to engage in any negotiations for a prisoner exchange unless the aggression on the Gaza Strip ceases completely, pointing out that it declared that this position has been communicated to all mediators involved.