No breakthroughs in Egypt on captive-prisoner exchange: Israeli media

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Feb 2024 15:03
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Israeli media says that the primary issue in the negotiations is the number of prisoners that the Palestinian Resistance wants to liberate in exchange for Israeli captives.

Palestinian youth liberated by the Resistance in Gaza in an exchange deal with the Israeli occupation in November 2023. (AFP)

Discussions currently taking place in Cairo regarding a captive-prisoner exchange deal between the Palestinian Resistance and the occupation entity were "positive," but no breakthrough was achieved, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.

Citing US and Israeli sources, the Walla! news site said that the main issue remaining in the negotiations is the number of Palestinian prisoners "that Hamas demands to be released in exchange for the Israeli captives," especially the soldiers.

According to the sources, progress was made in understanding the gaps during the talks held yesterday. Subsequently, Qatar and Egypt will assess whether Hamas is willing to show flexibility in its key positions.

An Israeli official familiar with the meeting told the media outlet that "the discussions in Cairo between Israel, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt regarding the issue of the abducted individuals concluded without a breakthrough, but progress was made in understanding the gaps that need to be addressed to enter negotiations that could lead to a deal."

The Israeli delegation headed to Cairo yesterday to participate in the security meeting to discuss a captive-prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, as well as the military operation in Rafah.

Hollow out the Paris Document

On Tuesday, a source within the Resistance in the Gaza Strip revealed to Al Mayadeen that the Israeli occupation is attempting to hollow out the contents of the Paris Document and achieve progress on the captive-prisoner exchange without "paying the price demanded by the Resistance."

The Paris Document entailed a three-stage prisoner exchange deal, but the proposal did not meet the Resistance's conditions, as it neglected the requirements for a ceasefire and a withdrawal from Gaza.

Hamas handed its response to mediators last week, saying it had approached the proposal "positively" and included modifications it deemed non-negotiable.

The introduced changes included a comprehensive and complete ceasefire, ending the aggression, securing relief, shelter, and reconstruction, in addition to lifting the siege on Gaza, and completing the process of the exchange deal.

The Paris Document came as a result of a meeting of top intelligence officials from Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and France in Paris earlier in late January.

The Israeli occupation rejected the the Resistance's changes to the original Paris Document proposal, which demanded a ceasefire as a prerequisite for any further steps.