Communication with Sinwar… another obstacle to the prisoner exchange agreement

Middle East

A climate of cautious optimism but also of doubts has been overshadowing the negotiations for the exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hamas through international mediation (Qatari, American and Egyptian) for days.

Although several parties involved in the negotiations have confirmed that a “breakthrough” on this issue is imminent and around the corner, doubts still prevail.

A source close to the negotiations confirmed this to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Monday.

Increase the number of prisoners

He revealed that Hamas has expressed in recent days its willingness to increase the number of prisoners it is willing to release, but their identities have not yet been agreed upon.

Furthermore, the source said that despite the hopeful atmosphere, all stakeholders remain skeptical and cautious.

He further added: “Indirect talks between the two sides have failed twice in the past, when everyone thought the agreement was possible to implement, so patience is needed.”

Images of Israeli prisoners (Reuters)

Communication with Sinwar is complicated

He also explained that one of the main problems is that talks with Hamas and its leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, are “complicated and slow”, especially because the man’s whereabouts are unknown and he is believed to still be hiding . in one of the tunnels on the Strip.

He stressed that the negotiating parties struggle to get clear answers from Hamas, especially because Sinwar does not have constant contact with the negotiating teams, partly because of the clashes, but also because of his general stance towards the Israeli army.

Sources had earlier reported that Sinwar had agreed, in principle, to increase the number of women and children to be released to more than 50, but had called for Israeli air surveillance of Gaza to be halted for 6 hours a day during the cessation of the fighting, “so that Hamas members can search for detainees without Israel spying on them.

He further revealed that the senior Hamas leader also demands that Israel release all Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons, according to the Axios website.

However, Egyptian officials close to the talks confirmed that a deal is around the corner. They explained that those involved discussed, yesterday, Sunday, a proposal for Hamas to release a certain number of women and children in exchange for the same number of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons.

However, they stressed that Israel and Hamas still disagree on how long the fighting should last.

Several weeks ago, Qatar and the United States, in addition to Egypt, launched persistent efforts to reach a consensus between Hamas and Israel on the issue of prisoners, which has become a major factor of domestic pressure on the Israeli government and its president, Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, to date, only 4 prisoners have been released since October 7, the day Hamas members, as well as fighters from other Palestinian factions, launched a surprise attack on Israeli settlements and military bases in the Gaza Strip and detained approximately 240 prisoners. .

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