German-Egyptian mediation to success an exchange deal between Hamas and Israel with Turkish and Qatari assistance
Ramallah – North-Press Agency
Ahmed Ismail
On Wednesday, sources specialized in the Israeli military affairs revealed progress in the file of prisoners exchange with Hamas, noting that there is an effective role for German and Egyptian mediation in this regard, while Turkey and Qatar play a facilitating role.
According to the Israeli Channel 13, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone meeting last week regarding the captured Israeli soldiers and missing persons in the Gaza Strip.
This is the first meeting of the Israeli ministerial committee concerned with the file of captured soldiers at Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, according to Israeli Channel 13.
The channel revealed that the coordinator of prisoners and missing persons’ affairs in Israel, Yaron Blum, spoke with the families of the two soldiers, Goldin and Shaul, and informed them that Israel was holding talks with Hamas via an intermediary regarding the return of the prisoners.
In fact, this is the first official Israeli announcement regarding the existence of these contacts.
North-Press tried to reach any detailed information about what is going on in the file, but the leader in Hamas, Hammad al-Raqeb refused to comment, saying that he “does not know what is going on in secret negotiations, and there is a narrow committee in the movement knows what is going on.”
However, sources specialized in the Israeli military affairs, told North-Press that there is progress in the exchange file, but the completion of the deal needs time, considering that there is a convergence in the stances of Hamas and Israel in general terms, but there is a difference between them regarding the categories of prisoners and their numbers in any deal in the file.
Sources indicate that German and Egyptian mediation has an effective role in this regard, while Qatar and Turkey are playing a facilitating role.
Israeli political analyst Shaul Menashe said in an interview with North-Press that the Israeli official announcement of the existence of these indirect contacts with Hamas hides something serious going on behind the scenes.
Menashe added: "It is in the interest of both parties to resolve a crisis that has lasted for more than five years."
He refers to two main factors in the progress of this file; first, Egyptian mediation and other mediations, and the second, the coronavirus pandemic, which necessitates cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian parties, whether the authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza to confront the epidemic. Hence, the conclusion of an exchange deal that would support this humanitarian cooperation because it is in the interest of both parties.
Regarding whether a deal can be concluded soon, Mensha said: "it is difficult to guess a deal will be concluded soon, but the indirect procedures and negotiations are in progress, of course, reaching a conclusion is in the interest of Hamas and Israel, which has pledged to the families of the kidnapped in Gaza that it is making an effort to achieve the goal."
On April 17, the head of Hamas Political Office, Ismail Haniyeh, revealed the number of the Israeli soldiers missing in the Gaza Strip, which is four soldiers.
The leader of the Hamas movement in Gaza, Yahya al-Sinwar, announced earlier this month about a new initiative regarding the exchange deal, in which he expressed his movement's willingness to offer a partial concession in the issue of the captive soldiers in exchange for Israel releasing elderly and sick prisoners as a humanitarian initiative in light of the coronavirus crisis.