The Mossad briefs the War Cabinet regarding a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas
The Israeli intelligence service (Mossad) briefed the War Cabinet on Monday regarding progress in a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, amid disagreements in the Israeli government regarding the war in the Gaza Strip and pressure from the families of the detainees to reach a deal.
According to what Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported, Mossad chief David Barnea participated in the War Cabinet meeting, Monday evening, and provided information about a possible prisoner exchange deal with Hamas that would crystallize a new deal.
Israel rejected the conditions of Hamas, which include a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the areas into which it penetrated in the Gaza Strip to conclude an exchange deal, under the pretext that these conditions threaten its security, and that military pressure is sufficient to make Hamas agree to a prisoner exchange deal on Israeli terms.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing intense pressure to return the detainees who were captured during Operation al Aqsa Flood on October 7, especially since some of them were killed by Israeli fire.
Of the approximately 250 detainees, about 100 were released in a temporary humanitarian truce at the end of last November, while 132 remain in Gaza, of whom 27 prisoners died without their bodies being returned, according to Israeli data.
It’s noteworthy that on December 13, the Israeli Maariv newspaper reported that Netanyahu prevented the head of the Mossad from discussing the conclusion of a new prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance through Qatari mediation.
