Hamas aims to repeat past successes with prisoner exchange deal
Hamas is making use of lessons learned in current negotiations for another prisoner exchange deal.
Hamas leaders continue to be mum about details surrounding a prisoner exchange deal rumored to be in the works with Israel. On July 7, Hamas confirmed through Khaled Meshaal, head of its political bureau, that Israel, via an unidentified European mediator, had requested that it release two Israeli civilians and the remains of two soldiers. Hamas did not respond to this request, according to Meshaal’s statements to Arab reporters in Doha.
Abu Obaida, the military spokesman for Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said July 8 that the dossier from the 2014 war on Gaza, primarily referring to the issue of the prisoners, is still on the table.
Since the end of the war in August, Hamas has rested assured that it has a card up its sleeve to use as leverage against Israel to demand the lifting of the blockade on Gaza and opening of border crossings. Two Israelis who went missing in Gaza during the war appear to be serving this purpose.
Since November, Hamas has referred to the issue of the prisoners as the “black box,” because little public information is being made available about them. Palestinians do not even know whether the prisoners are alive, because Hamas has yet to make a clarifying statement. Israel, however, insists they are dead.
