The ruling Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip is ready for urgent negotiations on a prisoner exchange with Israel, the head of the organization’s political bureau in the enclave, Yahya Sinwar, said on Monday.
The statement by one of the leaders of Hamas came hours after the visit of the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, to the Gaza Strip.
“The prisoner exchange process has been moving for some time, but it has stalled due to the lack of a stable government for the occupiers… we are ready for urgent negotiations,” Sinwar told reporters.
The Hamas leader in the enclave also added that meetings between Palestinian factions will be held in Cairo in the coming days.
“In the coming days, deep and serious inter – Palestinian meetings will be convened in Cairo to improve our relations for the success of the armed resistance, the legitimacy of the institutions of power, as well as peaceful work towards the liberation and return of the Palestinians to their lands,” Yahya Sinwar said.
On Sunday, Abbas Kamel met in Ramallah with Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas and some representatives of the Palestinian leadership to discuss the latest developments in Jerusalem, strengthening the truce between Israel and the Gaza Strip and the issue of rebuilding the enclave.
In addition, on the same day, the head of Egyptian intelligence met in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The sides discussed strengthening cooperation between Israel and Egypt and regional issues. On the evening of May 20, the Israeli Cabinet of Ministers for Security Affairs unanimously adopted the Egyptian initiative for a bilateral ceasefire in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone without any conditions. The ceasefire came into force at two o’clock in the morning on May 21.
