Hamas denies Arab media talk about new prisoner swap negotiations with Israel
Qatar’s Al-Araby al-Jadeed reported that talks between Israel and Hamas were renewed through European intermediaries, but the Islamic movement’s spokesman denies it.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel has returned to the forefront as competition begins to heat up between Israeli parties seeking to attract voters in the April 9 Knesset elections.
In a Jan. 19 report, Qatar’s London-based Al-Araby al-Jadeed newspaper quoted Hamas sources as saying the group was contacted by an unnamed European country, as well as Cairo, to mediate negotiations with Israel on the swap issue.
The swap issue between Israel and Hamas has been at a stalemate since the end of 2014, despite the Islamic group’s attempts to move it forward by releasing footage in December 2016 about the living conditions of Israeli prisoners in Hamas jails.
Israel has been unyielding, refusing to respond to Hamas' demand for the release of 52 Palestinian prisoners, whom Israel rearrested in June 2014 after their release in the Gilad Shalit deal in 2011.
