Israel has let Egyptian mediators know that it is willing to allow Turkey to negotiate a prisoner swap with Hamas, the newspaper Al-Araby al-Jadeed reported Saturday.
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According to the report, high-ranking officials in Cairo said that Israel was disappointed that the Egyptian team was not putting pressure on Hamas to reach a prisoner exchange deal with Israel. The report also claimed that given improving relations between Israel and Turkey, Israel would be willing for Turkey to take the lead on the sensitive issue.
The report has not been confirmed by any officials in Turkey, Egypt, or the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, a senior Turkish official told Israel Hayom that Turkey "has been working for a considerable time to take a meaningful role in promoting a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas."
The report came on the heels of a certain thaw between Jerusalem and Ankara after newly-elected President Isaac Herzog spoke on the phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week. The phone call lasted approximately 40 minutes, and Erdogan and Herzog agreed to strengthen bilateral ties. It also marked the first direct contact between Turkish and Israeli leaders in a considerable time.
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