Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu said on Wednesday that a list of Hamas prisoners and prisoners of war had been exchanged with mediators as part of a cease-fire proposal submitted by US President Donald Trump’s administration last month. In a report on Wednesday’s talks, Press TV said the prime minister expressed optimism about the progress of the talks.
The spokesperson said the prisoner exchange would take place in the first phase of the ceasefire “according to agreed criteria and numbers”.
In return, Hamas plans to release 47 Israeli prisoners (dead and alive) captured during Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, 2023 against the occupying regime.
Al-Nunu also expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached to end Israel’s two-year war in Gaza, including the withdrawal of regime forces from the Palestinian territories.
“The mediators are making great efforts to remove obstacles to the implementation of the ceasefire, and a spirit of optimism prevails among all parties,” it said.
The third day of indirect talks between Tel Aviv and Hamas took place in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday, with top US envoys and prominent regional figures taking part.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said the reports he had received since his arrival were “very encouraging.”
Sisi claimed that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner came with “a strong will, a strong message and a strong mandate from President Trump to end the war with this round of negotiations.”
According to reports, Sisi has invited President Trump to travel to Egypt for a signing ceremony if a deal is reached.
Two years have passed since Israel launched a genocidal campaign against the Gaza population, killing more than 67,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Hamas’ chief negotiator Khalil al-Khayya said the resistance group now wants “guarantees from President Trump and the sponsoring countries that the war will end once and for all.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has repeatedly violated previous ceasefire agreements, including one brokered by Egypt and Qatar in January, which collapsed in March when Israeli forces resumed attacks on Gaza.
Palestinians and international mediators say such violations undermine confidence in any new agreement, and Hamas officials have warned that without firm international guarantees, Netanyahu could again use the moratorium to reorganize the Israeli military before continuing to massacre Palestinian women and children.
MNA