Hamas leader Haniyeh ‘optimistic’ about chance for prisoner swap with Israel

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said Friday that he is optimistic there is a chance to reach a prisoner swap deal with Israel and that the terror group was ready for indirect negotiations.

“We have four prisoners and we are ready for indirect talks,” Haniyeh said in a television interview with the Gaza-based al-Araby TV network. “I’m optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement  with the occupation in order to complete a prisoner exchange deal and achieve our goals.”

Haniyeh gave a long list of  demands that Israel must meet ahead of talks including the release of all sick prisoners, child prisoners, elderly prisoners, female prisoners and prisoners who were released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange who Israel has since arrested on allegations of subsequent terror attacks.

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Haniyeh said the current coronavirus crisis had created a “historic junction” to progress on these talks.

His comments come a day after Hebrew media said progress has been made on a possible deal, citing both Palestinian and Israeli sources.

A senior Israeli source told Channel 13 that “an exceptional and rare opportunity has been created to reach a prisoner deal with Hamas.”

Channel 13 said the deal would include the remains of two Israeli soldiers, Sergeant First Class Oron Shaul and Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, killed in action during the 2014 Gaza war (Operation Protective Edge), and two Israeli civilians, Avera Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who are believed to held by Hamas after entering Gaza of their own accord in 2014-2015.

In exchange Israel would free an undisclosed number of Palestinian prisoners.

The source said that Hamas was deeply concerned about a potential spread of the coronavirus in the densely crowded Gaza Strip and was interested in a deal with Israel that would include medical assistance. The source said Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar was signaling that conditions were ripe for a deal, but warned that “if we do not act quickly the opportunity will pass.”

Channel 12 cited Palestinian sources as saying a senior Hamas delegation met in Cairo last week with Egyptian intelligence to discuss a prisoner swap. According to the sources, Musa Dudin, a member of the Hamas political bureau, was one of the members of the delegation.

Channel 12 cited Hamas sources as saying the sides were arguing over the group’s demand for the release of Palestinians who had been freed in the deal to release Gilad Shalit in 2011 and then jailed again.

Shalit was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange in which Israel freed over 1,000 security prisoners, among them Sinwar. Several have since been involved in terrorist attacks against Israelis.