Hamas leaders to meet in Cairo; cease-fire, prisoners' swap deal with Israel on agenda

A senior official announced on Saturday that leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) will meet in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday to negotiate a Gaza cease-fire and a possible prisoners' swap deal with Israel. Yahya Sinwar, the Gaza Strip's Hamas leader, announced on Twitter that he will travel to Cairo on Sunday to meet with senior Egyptian security intelligence officials with a Hamas team led by the movement's politburo chief, Ismail Haniyeh, according to Xinhua.

Sinwar said that the meetings with Egyptian officials will cover the cease-fire issue and the possibility of a prisoner swap arrangement between Palestinian factions and Israel. In response to the firing of rockets, Israel launched an 11-day military attack on the Gaza Strip on May 10. After Egypt and international mediators arranged a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas-led militants, the offence came to an end.

Egyptian-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Hamas proves shaky

The Egyptian-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Hamas has proved shaky since then, with militants firing rockets and activists launching incendiary balloons at Israel on multiple occasions. In retaliation, Israel launched airstrikes against militant infrastructure and positions, the majority of which belonged to Hamas' armed wing. Hamas commanders said a blueprint for negotiating a prisoner swap deal with Israel was offered to Egypt a few days ago. They stated that they are willing to work with Israel indirectly through a mediator to reach an agreement, as per the reports of Xinhua.

The Israeli authorities, who have been enforcing a land, sea and air blockade on Gaza since 2007, seek to attach this procedure to the repatriation of two Israeli civilians and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014 and detained in Gaza since then. In 2011, more than a thousand Palestinian detainees were released in return for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been held in Gaza for more than five years.

Biden's national security advisor to meet Egyptian officials

Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden's national security advisor, went to Cairo on Wednesday to meet with Egyptian officials about the escalating tensions between Israel and Hamas. The Biden administration relies heavily on Egypt, which has long served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, for assistance in maintaining regional calm, even as it pressures Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to end his anti-dissent crackdown.

Image: AP