If reports in the Arab media are to be believed, there is real opportunity for Israel to reach a "humanitarian" prisoner exchange agreeement with Hamas due to the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic.
The London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported Thursday - quoting senior Hamas officials - that the terror organization is striving to close a "partial" prisoner exchange deal with Israel in the foreseeable future (mediated by a third party) as part of a more comprehensive agreement down the road.
The sources quoted by the newspaper said that it is not a "traditional" agreement, but a "humanitarian arrangement" meant to free Palestinian women, ill and elderly prisoners incarcerated in Israel.
In exchange, Hamas is willing to provide information about the fate of the two Israeli civilians held in Gaza and two IDF soldiers, presumed killed in the 2014 war and whose bodies are being held by the terror group.
Hamas apparently fears for the health of Palestinian prisoners who are vulnerable to COVID-19. The terror group also belives that Israeli government is under pressure to ease the suffering for the families of soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul as well as civillians Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Saeed.
According to reports, however, Israel is less willing to negotiate a deal which involves information alone and an actual release of those held in Gaza.
The negotiations between the two sides, mediated by international bodies, are already under way and show a serious commitment on both sides to reach some sort of agreement.
Reports suggesting that Hamas would be willing to provide the information in exchange for medical equipment and humanitarian aid appear to be inaccurate. Israel is already providing Hamas with medical assistance to fight coronavirus in the enclave, and it is done out of Israeli interest to avoid a humanitarian crisis along the volatile border with Gaza.
In addition, Israel encourages other countries that provide humanitarian aid to Gaza - such as Qatar, the United States and Turkey - to boost its efforts in order to avoid a health crisis in the Strip.
Some officials in the Israeli defense establishment have demanded that medical assistance to Gaza should be provided only as part of a prisoner exchange deal. However, many officials believe that medical aid should be provided regardless of whether the agreement is reached or not.
These same officials see the Gaza Strip as a humanitarian timebomb, a place where if the coronavirus gets out of control, Israel will pay a heavy price both health and security-wise.
The reasons Hamas wants a partial deal
According to Arabic media, Hamas and its leader in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar's reasons for wanting only a partial deal are threefold.
First, the organization wants to show the public in Gaza that it is taking care of the young, old and female prisoners jailed in Israel by returning them to Gaza, where the rate of the virus spread is very low.
Second, Hamas is very much worried whether it would be able to stay in power if the virus does cause a mass outbreak in the enclave. The organization needs some sort of political achievement it can show off to the public in order to legitimize its rule.
Third, Hamas wishes to reach a "humanitarian" deal since talks between the terror group and Israel on a comprehensive prisoner exchange arrangement stalled years ago and they want to take advantage of the coronavirus epidemic to finally reach a breakthrough.
A defense official said that Israel is seriously considering a fair "humanitarian" deal with Hamas that would bring some relief to the relatives of whose loved ones are held in Gaza.
Therefore, Israeli officials are asking the families to respond to fake news and manipulations being spread by the terror group in order for the deal not to fall through.