Hamas' Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar said on Monday that his organization was willing to enter into immediate talks in order to finalize a prisoner swap with Israel.
This was apparently the first indication given by the Hamas official since Operation Guardian of the Walls that the two parties could be moving in that direction, against the backdrop of continued talks over a long-term truce facilitated by Egyptian intermediaries.
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According to Sinwar, "we are confident we would be able to exercise our rights." He then cryptically added, "Write down the number 1,111,' presumably referring to the number of prisoners Hamas would like Israel to release in exchange for the four Israelis it believes to be holding (including the bodies of two Israel Defense Forces soldiers from Operation Protective Edge).
Sinwar said that in the period following the temporary ceasefire some 10 days ago, there has been progress in the talks on a long-term truce but they have been stalled "because Israel lacks a stable government," presumably referring to the ongoing political drama in which right-wing parties have been trying to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu together with the Left.
Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi made a rare visit to Egypt this week in order to hammer out the details of the truce. However, it is unclear if a breakthrough is within reach, in part because Hamas has tried to include issues related to Jerusalem on the table and refuses to allow Israel total control over the foreign funding for Gaza's reconstruction.
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