Watan-Sources in Egypt have revealed details of the visit of an Israeli delegation to Cairo, coinciding with the recent visit of a delegation from the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas.

According to an Egyptian source speaking to “Al Arabi Al Jadid,” the Israeli delegation that visited Cairo included the official responsible for the issue of missing persons and prisoners in the occupation government.

The source added that the delegation’s mission was to closely understand Hamas’s position regarding the proposed ceasefire and a possible prisoner exchange deal. The Israeli delegation aimed to ascertain whether Hamas was rejecting the details of the proposed ceasefire, allowing for potential adjustments to some points presented by Tel Aviv, or if the movement had a unified stance rejecting partial offers.

According to the source, the proposal, which involves two negotiating stages, did not face outright rejection from the Hamas movement. This is because it incorporates two key principles set by the movement: no negotiations under fire and a comprehensive cessation of hostilities, followed by the withdrawal of occupation forces from the territories they entered in the Gaza Strip.

Intensive U.S. Communications

The source revealed the intensification of the U.S. administration’s communications with both Cairo and Doha, amid growing concerns about the widening scope of what it called the “war of trade routes.”

This comes in the wake of hints from the resistance camp about the possibility of targeting trade movements associated with Israel in the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar.

In a related context, the “Yedioth Ahronoth” newspaper stated that Israel is awaiting, in the coming days, a response from Hamas through Qatari intermediaries regarding the prisoners and detainees exchange deal.

The newspaper mentioned that there is pessimism in Israel about obtaining a positive response, and the Israeli assessment is that the matter may require military pressure.

A few days ago, Israeli Channel 12 quoted an Israeli official as saying, “We are in a waiting phase, preparing for decisive days regarding a new exchange deal.”

It is worth noting that Israel’s efforts to reach a prisoners exchange deal during a temporary ceasefire come at a time when it is suffering more casualties in terms of lives and equipment, with several of its captives killed in the airstrikes it carries out in the Gaza Strip.