REPORT: Israel And Qatar In Secret Negotiations For Further Hostage Exchange

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Qatar and Israel are holding secret talks in one of the European capitals regarding a potential hostage exchange, according to a report Monday on the Saudi Arabian website Elaph.

A senior diplomatic source revealed that the deal is expected to include children, women, and men, including three senior IDF officers who were captured by Hamas.

The Saudi report states that Israel has committed to release around 300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange, in addition to ten veteran prisoners serving long sentences, including Marwan Barghouti, the leader of the Fatah movement arrested during the Second Intifada due to his murderous terrorist activities. Barghouti is considered by many in the Palestinian Authority as a worthy successor to Mahmoud Abbas. Israel had refused to release Barghouti during the 2011 Shalit prisoner exchange deal.

Sky News Arabic reported on Monday, citing Israeli sources, that the Israeli government has expressed willingness to promote another hostage release

“There are offers that have been submitted, but there is no ready agreement and further negotiations are needed,” the report said.

Meanwhile, Axios reported that Israel expressed to Qatar its willingness to discuss another hostage deal.

The report said that, unlike its previous position that demanded the release of all female hostages before discussing any further deals, Israel is now willing to discuss a new agreement that will include the remaining women who were supposed to be released in the previous deal.

Meanwhile, Hamas claimed that they will not hold talks as long as the fighting in Gaza continues.

Ali Abu Shahin, a member of the political bureau of the Islamic Jihad, also said that “there are no talks about a prisoner deal. There is no talk of a humanitarian ceasefire and there will be no negotiations under fire.”