Fearing a possible flare-up in the Gaza Strip, Egypt is involved in intense efforts to release Palestinian prisoner Hisham Abu Hawash, who has been on a hunger strike in protest of his detention by Israel for 141 days, according to the Palestinian media.
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Sources told the Al-Quds Palestinian daily that the senior Egyptian intelligence officials are involved in the talks. According to the paper, Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have been engaging the officials.
Sources also said Egypt aims to reach an agreement that would end Hawash's administrative detention on Feb. 26, as opposed to the scheduled release in April. They said efforts are expected to bear fruit within hours or days.
Al-Quds also quoted the sources saying that Egypt fears Hawash's detention might lead to a renewal of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and that this would derail their efforts to achieve a long-term truce between Israel and Hamas.
In early December, the High Court of Justice rejected Abu Hawash's petition for release or for his detention to be suspended due to his medical condition. The High Court ruling describes how Abu Hawash, a resident of the Hebron area, posed a danger to security and had even served a previous prison sentence for security crimes. His petition was rejected because his condition was not life-threatening.
The Palestinian Authority spokesman Ibrahim Al-Melhem confirmed that talks are underway, but did not specify who the involved parties were.
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