High-level discussions address potential prisoner exchange, cease-fire terms and control over Gaza crossings
An Israeli delegation is visiting the Egyptian capital Cairo as part of efforts to negotiate a cease-fire in Gaza and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region, local media reported Tuesday.
The high-ranking delegation's visit aligns with Egypt's efforts to stabilize the region and address the worsening situation, according to the Al-Qahira Al-Ekhbariya television channel, which did not provide further details.
Israeli media, including Channel 14 and the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, confirmed the visit, saying the delegation includes Ronen Bar, the director of the Shin Bet internal security agency, and Israeli army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. Discussions reportedly focused on a potential prisoner exchange deal.
Channel 14 reported that talks included identifying the number of Israeli hostages held in Gaza -- both alive and deceased --and discussing the release of Palestinian detainees as part of the deal. The report suggested progress toward an agreement, claiming the Palestinian group Hamas is not conditioning the exchange on a cease-fire.
The meeting also addressed the Philadelphi Corridor, the buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border, and the Rafah crossing, with discussions about transferring control of these areas to Egypt or the Palestinian Authority, according to Channel 14.
A report last month in The Wall Street Journal outlined an Egyptian proposal for a 60-day truce in Gaza followed by a prisoner exchange. The plan allows for a continued Israeli military presence in Gaza during the truce and the reopening of the Rafah crossing under the Palestinian Authority's oversight monitored by European officials. Hamas would withdraw entirely from the crossing.
Neither Egypt nor Hamas has officially confirmed the proposal.
Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 44,800 people, mostly women and children, since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.
Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.
