Israel has been anticipating a new round of clashes in the Gaza Strip on the first anniversary of the assassination of Islamic Jihad leader Bahaa Abu al-Atta on Wednesday, as security sources in Tel Aviv revealed resumed negotiations on a prisoner exchange with Hamas movement.
Israel killed al-Atta in Gaza in a rare targeted strike on November 11, 2019.
The sources confirmed that Israeli Intelligence officials, liaising with coordinator for captives and missing people Yaron Bloom have held a series of meetings with a number of inmates in Israeli prisons, mainly Hamas members, to put the negotiations on the right track.
When one official was asked what he meant by “right track,” he replied that Hamas was demanding the release of hundreds of prisoners in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers and two other citizens who had infiltrated into the Gaza Strip.
The movement also demanded the release of top figures, such as Hassan Salama, who has been sentenced 48 times to life in prison, for his role in the killing of 48 Israelis, and Jamal Abu Haiga, who has received nine life sentences.
The official said such demands are rejected by Israel.
Concerning another negotiating track on preserving calm in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli report said Thursday that contacts with Hamas and other Palestinian factions were ongoing via Egypt and Qatar.
KAN 11 said Israeli authorities are seeking to make some compromises by allowing the entry and exit of businessmen from the Palestinian enclave and allowing certain goods to enter Gaza, as well as the flow of millions of dollars from Doha, paid in cash at around $30 million a month.
