- The Media Line - https://themedialine.org -

Hamas Officials in Cairo for Multiple Talks

Egypt is hoping it can influence the Gaza-based Hamas organization to end its standoff with Fatah, cease its smuggling operations via Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, cut a deal with Israel on the fate of Palestinian prisoners and a kidnapped Israeli soldier, and perhaps lengthen the truce between Hamas and Israel. To that end a team of negotiators will be in Cairo for talks beginning on Tuesday, as reported exclusively by The Media Line last week. That report also suggested an Israel team would be in the Egyptian capital at the same time. That would facilitate a swift round of indirect negotiations aimed at completing an exchange of prisoners. Egyptian sources say the Hamas position has toughened somewhat over the last two weeks because it saw Hizbullah’s success in the deal it brokered with Israel, which allowed five Lebanese prisoners to return home, along with some 190 bodies, in exchange for the bodies of two missing Israeli soldiers.