Hamas Signals Readiness for Prisoner Exchange, Linking Progress to Trump Plan implementation
Israeli and Hamas negotiators are expected to convene in Egypt on Sunday to discuss a potential prisoner exchange, with a focus on implementing elements of a plan reportedly proposed by former U.S.President Donald Trump.
A senior Hamas official told the Agency France-Presse (AFP) on Sunday that the movement desires a deal to end the ongoing conflict and proceed “immediately” with a prisoner swap. The official stated,”If the occupation [Israel] has real intentions to achieve an agreement,Hamas is ready.”
Negotiations,scheduled to take place in Egypt,aim to finalize details surrounding the release of captives held in Gaza,paving the way for a broader prisoner exchange. Hamas negotiators, traveling from Doha, are expected to arrive in Cairo before proceeding to Sharm El-Sheikh for indirect talks with the Israeli delegation. Sources indicate the delegations will be in the same location but separated from media access.
A Palestinian source close to Hamas revealed that discussions will center on establishing a timeline for preparing conditions on the ground for the transfer of Israeli captives. The source also stated Hamas is demanding a complete cessation of Israeli military operations throughout the Gaza Strip, including a halt to all aerial activity – reconnaissance and drone overflights – and a full withdrawal from within Gaza. In return, hamas and other resistance factions would suspend their own military operations.
The talks will also involve reviewing maps provided by Israel outlining proposed withdrawal routes and timelines, which would be synchronized with the prisoner exchange. Hamas is prepared to present lists of Palestinian prisoners for release in exchange for the Israeli captives.
According to the Trump plan, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners currently serving life sentences, as well as over 1,700 Palestinians arrested from the Gaza Strip following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the current conflict.
