Qatar attempts to mediate prisoner swap between Hamas and 'Israel'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
9 Oct 2023 16:30

Qatar aims to mediate a prisoner swap between "Israel" and Hamas, but the latter has conditions, according to an anonymous source.

Palestinians transport a captured Israeli settlers, center, from Kibbutz Kfar Azza into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP)

A Hamas source told Xinhua, that Qatar has attempted to mediate "an urgent prisoner swap" between the Hamas movement and "Israel", according to a report published on Sunday.

Xinhua highlighted that the Hamas source who had wished to remain anonymous has noted that "With US support, Qatar is seeking to accomplish an urgent agreement that would lead to the release of Israeli women captured by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian female prisoners in Israeli prisons."

According to the source, on the condition that "Israel" releases the 36 female Palestinian prisoners, Hamas might consider agreeing to the prisoner swap.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that recent estimates indicate that the number of Israeli deaths has reached 1,000, and the number of prisoners captured by the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza has exceeded 150.

The newspaper noted that among those dead were 73 soldiers, including five from the elite Golani Brigade, and several high-ranking military commanders such as Colonel Roi Levy and Colonel Jonathan Steinberg, who served as the commander of the Nahal Brigade, as well as the commander of the communications battalion, the deputy commander of the Maglan unit, a company commander, a platoon commander in the Home Front Command, the commander of the 481st Computer Battalion, and crew commander in the Duvdovan unit.

Moreover, Israeli media confirmed the presence of senior officers among the captured Israelis, who have reached at least 150 prisoners.

'Israel' requests Egypt to mediate release of soldiers, settlers: WSJ

"Israel" has asked Egypt to mediate the release of Israeli soldiers and settlers captured by the Palestinian Resistance, unnamed Egyptian officials have told The Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper said, "It is not clear how many Israeli captives are being held in Gaza" by Hamas and other Resistance factions. However, Israeli media outlets reported 750 missing Israelis.

WSJ contacted a spokesperson of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, but the Ministry did not respond to the newspaper's requests.

Cairo has contacted Israeli and Hamas officials through political and security channels in an attempt to "assess the situation and promote calm," WSJ said, citing several unnamed Egyptian officials.

The newspaper said, however, that Egyptian attempts have "yielded limited results" as Israeli officials refuse a ceasefire before they respond to the Resistance's successful offensive on Envelope settlements and the occupation's military sites.

Egypt shares a 12 km border with the Gaza Strip and has played a key role in mediating a ceasefire in May 2021, following the battle of Seif al-Quds.

The newspaper also reported, citing officials in the United States and Egypt, that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had spoken with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry regarding the unfolding of events in Southern Palestine.

Resistance leaders have made it clear that the objective behind Operation Al-Aqsa Floods is to free Palestinians from Israeli jails. It is expected that an eventual deal would be reached for the release of Palestinians in exchange for the release of settlers and soldiers, estimated to be in the dozens, from Gaza.