Despite Israeli denials ,indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel for a prisoner exchange "have come a long way," according to an interview with Palestinian officials conducted by the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper on Monday.
According to the report, Hamas gave Egypt, particularly Egyptian intelligence, a prominent role in negotiations, with the goal being to exchange "four Israeli captives" for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The same sources confirmed that Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, agreed with Egyptian officials on what role they should play in completing the deal, as was the case with the Shalit exchange.
- The report further claimed that there was a Hamas delegation in Cairo at the same time Mahmoud Abbas was visiting the city, which included the deputy commander of Hamas' military wing, Marwan Issa.
According to the report, the Hamas visit comes two weeks after a high-level Israeli delegation visited Cairo, during which negotiations were held.
The newspaper further alleges that it is believed that Sinwar and Rawhi Mushtaha, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, will be leading negotiations for the deal to be completed.
Prisoners to be demanded by Hamas include dozens of movement leaders and prominent Palestinian leaders, such as Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Secretary General Ahmad Sa'adat and Fatah Central Committee member Marwan Barghouti.
"Hamas is working to correct some of the mistakes and negative things that accompanied the previous deal," said Palestinian sources.
Sinwar, it was claimed, gave the Egyptian leadership the names of 56 prisoners freed in the Shalit deal that Israel had arrested in recent years. "Sinwar asked the Egyptian leadership to follow up on the issue of those prisoners, because it was Egypt that sponsored the previous deal and worked to complete it."