Zain Khalil
01 June 2021•Update: 01 June 2021
JERUSALEM
An official Israeli delegation is expected to visit Egypt next week for talks on a prisoner swap deal between Tel Aviv and Palestinian resistance group Hamas, according to Israeli media.
The report said that Palestinian prisoners accused of involvement in attacks on Israelis will be among those released if a swap deal is agreed upon, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said.
Egyptian authorities have yet to comment on the report.
An estimated 4,500 Palestinians are believed to be held in Israeli prisons, including 41 women, 140 minors, and 440 administrative detainees, according to data compiled by organizations on the rights of prisoners.
Meanwhile, Hamas holds captive four Israelis, including two soldiers.
On Monday, Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, said there is "a real chance to make progress” on a prisoner swap with Israel after holding talks with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in the besieged enclave.
On Sunday, Kamel met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for talks on Gaza cease-fire and reconstruction of the Palestinian territory.
An Egyptian-brokered truce that took effect in the early hours of May 21 ended Israel’s 11-day bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli attacks in Gaza and the West Bank killed at least 289 people, including women and children, and left behind a trail of destruction. Health centers and media offices, as well as schools, were among the structures targeted.
*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara
