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Al-Hayya's interview with Qatar-owned satellite news network Al-Jazeera followed a report Sunday that Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel was expected later this month to present Prime Minister Naftali Bennett with a proposal for an outline for a prisoner swap agreement, to which Hamas has already agreed.

In the interview, al-Hayya said Hamas was conditioning the deal on the releases of terrorist masterminds Marwan Barghouti of the rival Fatah faction and Ahmad Sa'adat of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. In 2001, Sa'adat orchestrated the assassination of former minister Rehavam Ze'evi in Jerusalem. Barghouti was convicted for his role in numerous deadly attacks against Israeli civilians during the Second Intifada.

Al-Hayya also claimed that Israel was the side delaying the deal, and that it had tried "but failed" to link it to the matter of Gaza's rehabilitation following Operation Guardian of the Walls. According to al-Hayya, any prisoner swap must also include the six Palestinian terrorists who escaped Gilboa prison in northern Israel in Setember, and were caught and put back in jail following an extensive manhunt.

The deputy Hamas leader went on to say he was proud of Iran's support of Gaza.

"Tehran transfers ongoing aid to Hamas in any way possible," said al-Hayya. "It helped and helps the forces and the capabilities of the resistance in Palestine."

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Israel has decided to address the issue of a prisoner exchange with Hamas after months of delays, deputy leader of Hamas' politburo Moussa Abu Marzouk told Al Araby Al-Jadeed on Friday.

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Abu Marzok also noted that there had been "developments" toward a possible trade.

"The deal will be ready in a few weeks if Israel complies with Hamas' demands," Abu Marzouk said, adding that Israel was dragging its heels. He did not provide details about what the deal would entail or what Hamas' demands were, but in the past, the terrorist group has insisted that all its prisoners released in the 2011 trade for captive soldier Gilad Schalit who were later reimprisoned for terrorist activities be released.

High-ranking officials in both Egypt and the Gaza Strip have confirmed that indirect negotiations, brokered by the Egyptian intelligence services, for the return of two captive Israelis and the remains of fallen soldiers Lt. Hadar Goldin and Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, have resumed.

In the past few days, Egyptian and Palestinian media outlets have reported that during Sukkot a delegation of senior Israeli security officials visited Cairo to try and help move the talks forward.

Other reports said that the UN's Middle East point man recently met with senior Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian reports, the meeting focused on the promotion of the UN's employment projects in Gaza, but a few senior Hamas officials confirmed that the primary purpose of the meeting had been to coordinate between UN representatives, Egyptian mediators, and Hamas.

Zahar Jabarin, a member of the Hamas politburo who holds the prisoners portfolio, told Radio A-Shams, which broadcasts from Nazareth, that the demands Hamas submitted to the Egyptian mediators included the release of all the Schalit deal prisoners who had been re-captured; the release of a number of long-term inmates who were put in prison before the Oslo Accords, including some Arab Israelis; and the release of dozens of minors imprisoned in Israel.

"We are willing to make a deal, but what Israel is offering does not meet our minimum requirements," Jabarin said. He stressed that "Hamas opposes conditioning the deal on the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip."

Jabarin said that while the Egyptians were taking the lead on the talks, "there are other international officials who are involved in the effort. The ball is now in Israel's court."

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, identified with Hezbollah, quoted a senior Hamas official who said that Hamas has submitted two proposals to the Egyptian mediators for a deal that would be implemented in stages. The first stage of both proposals calls for the release of the terrorists re-imprisoned after their release in the Schalit deal, as well as dozens of minor prisoners and elderly or sick prisoners.

The second stage of both proposals calls for Israel to release some 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom were involved in terrorist attacks that killed or wounded Israelis.

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The Hamas terrorist organization said Tuesday that it has issued a proposal for a prisoner swap with Israel to take place in the near future.

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The proposal was transferred to Egypt, the country that has acted as a mediator between the Jewish state and Hamas in recent years and, most recently, brokered a ceasefire following 11 days of deadly fighting in May.

Israel is seeking the return of the remains of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who were killed in the 2014 Gaza war, as well as Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, two Israeli civilians who crossed into Gaza voluntarily and are believed to be held in Hamas custody.

A senior Hamas official in Gaza, Zahar Jabarin, told London-based newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the organization submitted its demands to Egypt and that the "ball is in Israel's court."

Meanwhile, Palestinian sources told Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar that Hamas made two proposals.

Within the framework of the first proposal, the exchange would include the release of Palestinian security prisoners who were freed in the Gilad Schalit deal only to be rearrested, along with female prisoners, minors, prisoners who are in poor health, and those with extensive sentences.

The second proposal reportedly calls for a deal to take place in two stages. The first stage would include those prisoners who were rearrested following their Schalit deal release, female prisoners and minors in exchange for information about the Israeli captives. In the second phase, thousands of Palestinian security prisoners would be released, including those with extensive sentences and blood on their hands – in exchange for the soldiers' remains and civilians.

It should be noted that Hamas considers the two Israeli civilians it is holding captive – Mengistu and al-Sayed – as soldiers.

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IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Israel Navy Academy on Sunday night, addressed the recent rocket fire at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip and last week's escape from Gilboa prison by six Palestinian terrorists, two of whom are still on the run.

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"In recent weeks the challenge in the Palestinian arena has become more acute," he told the navy's newest officer class. "The IDF is working to provide security on all fronts, particularly in Judea and Samaria. Last week, the IDF helped capture the prisoners and is working with the police and Israel Prisons Service," he said.

"We've apprehended four [of the escaped prisoners], and it's only a matter of time until before the defense establishment reaches the other two. We will not stop until they are caught and will not allow the terrorist organizations in Gaza and Judea and Samaria to turn this event into a reason to harm the country's citizens."

Following their escape, the six terrorists were reportedly refused transport to the West Bank city of Jenin, according to details leaked from the Shin Bet interrogation of the four escapees who have been recaptured.

Once outside the prison walls, the fugitives reportedly headed on foot toward the nearby Arab town of Na'ura, some seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from the jail, where they begged several residents to drive them to Jenin, but were rebuffed.

After being denied by local residents, the six allegedly spent less than an hour in a local mosque where they showered and changed clothes before leaving the town. Israeli investigators initially thought they had spent the night there.

Security forces were said to be narrowing in on the location of the last two fugitives – Iham Kamamji and Munadil Nafiyat – both members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group, with searches focusing on the Jezreel Valley and Jenin.

The IDF chief, meanwhile, warned terrorist groups in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, that "if the situation escalates, Hamas and the Gaza Strip will pay a heavy price."

Later Sunday night, Israeli jets attacked Hamas targets in Gaza in response to rocket fire at southern Israel.

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With a nationwide manhunt for two fugitive Palestinian terrorists still ongoing Sunday morning, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said some of Israel's security organizations "have atrophied."

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At the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Bennett said, "The amount of energy and effort that has been invested in fixing the chain of mistakes and failures that simply should never have happened is immense. This requires inquiry and for lessons to be learned.

"Together with [Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, we decided to establish a governmental commission of inquiry into the escape and there will be a comprehensive and serious examination.

"We are looking at things through a broader lens and view what happened as a wake-up call. Some of the state's systems have atrophied in recent years and need to be improved, changed and strive for excellence.

"It's possible and necessary to work differently, particularly in a security organization such as the Israel Prisons Service. Quality appointments that are based strictly on professional parameters, defining national objectives, and formulating organized work plans. What's been broken can be fixed," he said.

Five days into the national manhunt, four of the six Palestinian security prisoners who escaped from a jail in northern Israel last week were captured over the weekend. Police caught two of the fugitives – Yaqoub Mahmoud Qadri and Mohammed Qassem al-Arida – in Nazareth Friday night. Hours later, two others – notorious terror commander Zakaria Zubeidi and Mohammed al-Arida – were apprehended in the nearby town of Shibli–Umm al-Ghanam. In both cases, Arab Israelis who encountered the fugitives reported them to authorities, aiding in their capture.

The six fugitives received no help while on the run, Israeli security forces said in statements Saturday night.

A video circulating on social media showed Israeli police shackling one of the prisoners, Qadri, into the backseat of a police vehicle and asking him for his name. The man, wearing jeans and a green T-shirt, calmly identifies himself as Qadri and answers "yes" when asked whether he is one of the escapees. Qadri was serving two life sentences for attempted murder and bomb planting.

"Due to the cooperation between all security organizations and the very broad deployment of police and Border Police forces on the ground, we were able to apprehend four of the six terrorists, and the manhunt is ongoing," said Israel Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, who cautioned it was still too early to celebrate the end of one of the more embarrassing chapters in Israel's security history.

Shabtai called on civilians to remain vigilant and for local communities to remain on guard.

The still-at-large terrorists are "desperate individuals, and we must be aware of any [suspicious] movements in the area," the police chief continued.

Defense officials speculated on Saturday it was increasingly likely that the two remaining escapees – Iham Kamamji and Munadil Nafiyat, both of whom are members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group – had split up. One of the two may still be in Israel, while the other could have crossed into Judea and Samaria, defense officials said.

Security officials were increasingly concerned that Kamamji or Nafiyat could try to carry out an attack following the arrests of the other fugitives over the weekend.

"They have nothing to lose," an unnamed senior official was quoted saying by the Walla news site.

Bennett and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi took part in a situational assessment on Saturday night along with other security officials regarding the ongoing manhunt.

"The activity has been determined and consistent, and the key to success is smooth and quiet cooperation between all those involved," Bennett said, adding that "rapid information sharing and precise division of tasks between security forces should continue, allowing maximum coverage of the area."

Shabtai praised the civilians who he said helped lead to the terrorists' capture. "I call on civilians, whose conduct to this point has been commendable, to continue your everyday lives but also be on alert for anything suspicious. We will respond quickly to any emergency call and any report to detain the terrorists who are still on the run," he said.

Bar-Lev also praised Israel's Arab citizens, who he said helped lead to the capture of the fugitives by reporting them to the police.

"Alongside the compliments to the Israel Police and security forces for their actions thus far, and without ignoring the fact that the mission is still not completed – I would like to thank the Arab citizens of Israel who aided in the apprehension of the terrorists," Barlev wrote on Twitter.

"For four days the fugitives wandered, believing they'd find shelter and refuge among Arab Israelis – but they were mistaken. Wherever they turned for help and were identified, Arab citizens turned them away and called the police," added Barlev.

After interrogating the four re-captured terrorists, police and Shin Bet security service investigators concluded they had no accomplices on the outside, or assistance from within the prison, Channel 12 News reported on Saturday night. The report said the escaped prisoners may have received minor assistance from passersby, such as offers of rides or clothing, none of which was premeditated.

The four men were brought to a Northern District Court in Nazareth on Saturday night for their first hearing following their capture. Prosecutors accused them of having planned to conduct a major terror attack following their escape, a crime with a possible sentence of 15 additional years in prison.

The four captured fugitives will likely be kept in solitary confinement following their capture. Their remand was extended by nine days.

Meanwhile, terrorist prisoners from the Fatah organization said they would launch a hunger strike due to the punitive measures imposed on them by the Israel Prison Service.

In a letter to the Palestinian Authority, they said all the prisoners had agreed to go on a hunger strike starting this Friday.

Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, responded to the prisoners' threat by saying: "This moment is a test in which the State of Israel must not yield and must not blink. Let them starve to death. We manage the prisons and we dictate the conditions. Not the terrorists. And the conditions must be much stricter and more severe. And if an uprising inside the prisons leads to riots outside, the IDF will severely suppress them. The deterrence must be restored."

Shortly after the arrest of Qadri and Mohammed Arida, thousands of Palestinians violently protested across Judea and Samaria and clashed with IDF troops throughout the day. A rocket was also launched from the Gaza Strip and was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. The IDF responded with an airstrike against a Hamas military infrastructure.

For the Palestinians, the fugitives terrorists are "heroes" who succeeded in freeing themselves from multiple life sentences. Fighting against Israel and taking part in attacks against the Israeli military or even civilians is a source of pride for many.

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Hamas Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said that "the arrest of the heroic prisoners is another round in the open and ongoing battle with the occupation. What happened strengthens the Palestinian people to continue the struggle against the occupation and support of prisoners."

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad has threatened retaliation if any harm came to its operatives jailed in Israel or the fugitives.

As soon as the news about the capture of the two fugitives was confirmed Friday, a flurry of bitter posts expressing disappointment and shock filled Palestinian social media.

The Gilboa Prison break is one of the worst jailbreaks in Israel's history. The initial investigation has already exposed major flaws in the Israel Prison Service and set off days of angry finger-pointing and calls for a commission of inquiry.

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Riots broke out across the Judea and Samaria on Wednesday evening and fires broke out at several Israeli prisons amid rising pressure on the government and security forces to find six Palestinian terrorists who escaped a maximum security facility in northern Israel two days earlier.

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Shots were fired at Israeli forces in Ramallah, but no injuries were reported among IDF soldiers.

The Palestinian Red Crescent medical services said that 60 rioters were wounded by tear gas in protests in the Nablus area.

IDF troops fired stun grenades at Palestinian protesters gathered at Damascus Gate in the Old City. The protesters were heard chanting, "Where is Zakaria," a reference to Zakaria Zubeidi, the most notorious of the six Palestinian prisoners who escaped Gilboa prison near Beit Shean on Monday. Reports also came of a bus getting hit by rocks in the city.

The Palestinian Red Crescent also reported violent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces in the towns of Beita and Huwara in Judea and Samaria.

The IDF said a general closure of Judea and Samaria, which was supposed to have been lifted Thursday following the Rosh Hashanah holiday, will be extended at least another 24 hours.

The IPS said a fire broke out in two cells in different wings of Ramon Prison and that the blaze was brought under control. Palestinian inmates torched seven cells in Ketziot prison in retaliation for efforts to move them to different locations. Fires were also reported at Ramon and Megiddo prisons. Immediately following the jailbreak, all of the security prisoners at Gilboa prison were relocated and dispersed throughout other prisons in the country.

The Palestinian prisoners group had called on inmates to resist being relocated and to start fires in their cells if guards try to move them by force. The prisoners group also threatened a widespread hunger strike.

Inside the prisons, Fatah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other factions each have an organized presence and appear to be acting together in the wake of the escape.

Meanwhile, blame for Monday's breakout rippled through the prison system and checkpoint closures between Israel and Judea and Samaria were extended into the weekend.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the premier met with the heads of Israel's security services and stressed that the country was ready for "any scenario."

Attending the meeting were Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, the, Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman, Israel Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, Israel Prisons Service chief Katy Perry, National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat, and other top officials.

"The events have the potential to impact numerous fronts," the statement from the prime minister's spokesperson added, as the IDF bolstered its forces stationed in Judea and Samaria.

Bar-Lev on Thursday morning vowed that "we will get our hands on the escaped terrorists, fix the failures that led to their escape, and to the extent we discover professional negligence, we will handle that, too."

Meanwhile, the Israel Police have reportedly have gained information substantiating suspicions that prison guards helped the terrorists escape Gilboa prison, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

The police investigation is headed by the Lahav 433 Major Crimes Unit and includes investigators from the International Fraud Unit. Police are expected to question two prison guards involved in the case.

According to Bar-Lev, the investigation was also focusing on whether "criminal elements were involved" in the escape.

Monday's escape was Israel's largest jailbreak in decades. The six men who escaped, between 26 and 49 years old, apparently dug a tunnel out of Gilboa prison and escaped early Monday morning.

It poses a potential dilemma for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whose security forces coordinate with Israel. His Fatah party has praised the prison escape, but he has not commented on it.

Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel as heroes of their national cause and have celebrated the prison break.

Around 500 Palestinians gathered in the cities of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and other West Bank locations, some chanting "freedom" and waving Palestinian flags.

"We came out in solidarity with our prisoners in the occupier's jails," said Jihad Abu Adi, 25, as protesters nearby set tires ablaze. "It's the least we could do for our heroic prisoners."

If the escapees are apprehended in the West Bank, many Palestinians are likely to blame the PA, which is already facing a popular backlash after the death of an activist in its custody in June.

MK Aida Touma-Sliman of the Joint Arab List faction, meanwhile, lambasted the security forces' efforts to capture the escaped terrorists and called for an end to the "harassment of political prisoners."

In a Facebook post, the lawmaker warned against "the escalation of oppression and harassment toward Palestinian political prisoners in the jails of the Israeli occupation, and against the grandiose operations in the Arab villages in the Jezreel Valley and Wadi Ara.

"The cruel attacks are revenge for the blow to the arrogance of the occupation – the IPS, Shin Bet, and the defense establishment after six prisoners managed to escape [Gilboa] prison.

"The order of the day is to cease the attacks immediately and to release prisoners charged with opposing the occupation. The only guarantee for security and stability is the end of the occupation and recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people," she wrote.

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A massive manhunt was underway Monday morning after six Palestinian terrorists escaped from a high-security Israeli prison, in what officials described as one of the worst prison breaks in the country's history.

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Large numbers of police forces were called to the area around Gilboa prison, located northwest of Beit Shean,  and were searching for the six fugitives with the help of drones and helicopters. The IDF and Shin Bet security agency were also helping search for the suspects, and checkpoints were put up in the area.

Five of the prisoners belonged to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization and one, Zakaria Zubeidi, was a former commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a terrorist group affiliated with the Fatah faction.

The six were cellmates and tunneled out of Gilboa prison in northern Israel near the city of Beit Shean. They were reported missing around 4 a.m., but may have fled hours earlier.

After apparently entering the prison's drainage network under the sink in their cell, the men exited through another tunnel into a road on the south side of the prison. According to the Israel Prisons Service, the escapees likely exploited a "structural flaw" in the prison's sewerage system.

Credit: Israel Prisons Service

The six were all in jail for life in connection with deadly attacks against Israelis, and all were considered highly dangerous. Three of them had attempted escape in the past.

An unnamed police source told Channel 12 News the incident appeared to be "one of the gravest incidents" in recent memory.

According to Channel 13 News, Israeli security officials believe the six will attempt to flee to either Jordan or the West Bank city of Jenin. Army Radio said the men appeared to have received some outside help.

The IPS said police received reports about suspicious persons traveling in the area of the prison around 3 a.m, adding the escape began around 1:30 a.m.

The men were spotted walking along the road near the prison at around 3 a.m., prompting at least one civilian to call the police.

"I just passed by the prison and I saw some suspicious people walking around. Maybe you should tell them to do a patrol or something," the man told police, according to a recording of the call that was shared on social media.

Army Radio also said 400 prisoners were being moved as a protective measure against any additional escape attempts.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad praised the escape on Monday morning as a "victory over the occupation."

"This is a great heroic act, which will cause a severe shock to the Israeli security system and will constitute a severe blow to the army and the entire system in Israel," added Daoud Shehab, a spokesman for PIJ.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum cast the escape similarly, saying it shows "that the struggle for freedom with the occupier is continuous and extended, inside prisons. and outside to extract this right."

In Jenin, Zubeidi's hometown and perhaps the home of the other escapees as well, celebratory gunfire was heard Monday morning. Residents handed out coffee and sweets to passersby.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, who is responsible for both the IPS and the Israel Police, were both informed of the escape and are in constant contact with the relevant officials, their offices said.

Bennett called it a "grave incident" that required maximum effort by Israel's various security branches.

He said he was receiving constant updates on the prison break, which occurred just hours before Israel was to mark the Jewish New Year.

A photo published by Palestinian media shows the IDs of the six suspected escaped prisoners.

Aside from Zubeidi, the other escapees, all from towns and villages near Jenin, were identified by the IPS as Munadil Nafayat, 26, from Yaabad; Mahmoud and Mohammad al-Arida, both from Arraba; Iham Kahamji, 35, from Kufr Dan; and Yaqoub Qadiri, 49, from Deir al-Basha.

An Israel Police spokesperson said there were not currently any security advisories in place for residents of the area following the incident, but urged them to exercise increased vigilance.

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Two weeks after the conclusion of Operation Guardian of the Walls, senior Israeli officials over the weekend said they believe a prisoner exchange deal can be finalized with the Hamas terrorist organization within weeks or months.

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The cautious optimism in Israel was due to Israel's policy shift following Operation Guardian of the Walls, whereby it has conditioned Gaza's rehabilitation on the return of Israel's fallen soldiers and captive civilians in Hamas hands and is only implementing "basic" humanitarian measures until their return home. Within the framework of its new policy, Israel is only permitting medicine and medical equipment, food, and fuel for the private sector to enter Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing. It is allowing Gazans in need of life-saving medical treatment to enter Israel via the Erez crossing.

It is not allowing anything else to enter Gaza, and at this stage, Israel is comprehensively preventing the export of goods from the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave. This issue is particularly troubling to the residents of Gaza, and to quite a few Israeli companies, mainly in the textile and fashion business, waiting eagerly for new shipments from Gaza.

Israel has allowed itself to adopt this policy after experts from the Defense Ministry's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories unit determined unequivocally that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza following Operation Guardian of the Walls, although it is no secret that the humanitarian situation in the Strip is dire irrespective of the recent round of violence with Hamas.

Throughout the operation, the IDF focused on precisely targeting military assets belonging to the terrorist groups in Gaza, while the scope of damage to civilian infrastructure was close to zero. According to assessments, despite the magnitude of the Israeli strikes in Gaza, the damage inflicted was just one-tenth of the damage caused during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

Defense officials believe that beyond the damage to their military infrastructure, the issue Hamas leaders are currently most trouble by is that talks over long-term understandings with Israel gave stalled.

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Realistically speaking, it will be impossible to prevent Hamas from scooping up supplies and money sent to the Gaza Strip, an Israeli official involved in talks between Israel, Egypt, the United Nations, and the US on planned efforts to rehabilitate Gaza after Operation Guardian of the Walls.

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According to the official, without Israeli presence on the ground, international oversight and supervision measures would be limited.

"Hamas will take its portion," the official added. He said that steps Israel could take to slow the rate at which Hamas would rearm itself included stepping up oversight of dual-use items sent into Gaza, as well as demanding that Egypt tighten its own supervision of the Rafah border crossing.

However, he said, the cycle of a military operation against Hamas infrastructure leading to destruction leading to rebuilding efforts that allow Hamas to rehabilitate itself could not be prevented.

Since the end of the operation, Israel and Egypt have been trying to find a way to help rebuild Gaza, but not Hamas, a principle stated by US President Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, head of Egypt's General Intelligence Directorate Abbas Kamel arrived in Gaza from Israel on Monday and held meetings with senior representatives of Hamas and other Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip. Deputy leader of Hamas in Gaza Khalil al-Hayya said, "Prior to the round of fighting, we had made progress on a prisoner exchange deal. The fighting stopped all the negotiations, and if the Zionist enemy wants to, it is possible to reach a deal quickly."

Al-Hayya emphasized that Hamas rejected any option for a long-term agreement to reconstruct Gaza that would include a return of Israel's captive fallen soldiers and civilians.

In related news, an Israeli security delegation is scheduled to arrive in Sharm e-Sheikh in the Sinai Peninsula on June 22 to promote direct flights between Israel and the tourist town.

Kamel has already met with Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen, and the two agreed to host bilateral business delegations in Israel and Egypt. Cohen led a delegation to Sharm e-Sheikh in March of this year.

Cohen and Kamel agreed that the security delegation would depart for Sharm e-Sheikh to look into security infrastructure there. The discussions about direct flights come as Israel's National Security Council and Shin Bet security agency are considering lowering Israel's travel warning for Sinai for the first time in 15 years from its current level of 1 (the highest) to 2 or 3.

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Hamas is holding the bodies of two IDF soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who were killed in Operation Protective Edge in 2014, and civilians Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who crossed into Gaza voluntarily. In recent years talks have sluggishly progressed, but over the past few months have accelerated amid the backdrop of the coronavirus. Hamas was afraid the healthcare system in Gaza would collapse and another exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave, and sought to incorporate the prisoner swap into a broader agreement with Israel.

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Now, however, it appears that despite Hamas' willingness to finalize a deal, the talks between the sides have again tapered.  The Israeli officials, as stated, placed the brunt on the blame on the Israeli side, for two main reasons: the lack of attention on the part of the senior political leadership that is supposed to move the matter forward; and the lack of impact from the special negotiator for hostages and prisoners of war, Yaron Blum.

The officials said that in contrast to other individuals who held his position in the past, Blum holds limited sway with the decision-makers and on the decision-making process. According to the officials, the person filling Blum's vacuum is a senior Shin Bet security agency official known only as "Maoz," who has been working with the National Security Council and is considered the person most close to National Security Advisor Meir Ben Shabbat.

"Maoz" manages the Division for the Middle East, Africa and Intelligence Relations, including clandestine ties with Muslim countries. His history in the Shin Bet and intimate familiarity with the Palestinian and Egyptian arenas – along with his fluent Arabic – have made him the central figure in Israel's negotiation efforts opposite Hamas and consequently talks over a prisoner exchange. Some officials believe his close relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now the key to securing a deal.

With that, the officials added, the decision-makers have a "very limited and partial" attention span for the prisoner issue. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz are primarily focused on contending with the coronavirus pandemic, the economic crisis, the sovereignty issue and variety of political matters, and are devoting very little time to the prisoner issue.

"If the decision-makers' focus of attention is extremely limited, there's little chance of advancing the issue," the officials said. "Such complex deals require intensive, daily attention for an agreement to be reached. This is very far from the existing reality." The result, they argue, is that "Hamas appears far more serious than us."

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