Egypt calls on Hamas to resolve issue of Israeli soldiers held hostage

The Egyptian government is keen to see Hamas resolve the issue of the Israeli soldiers it has held since the military offensive against the Gaza Strip in 2014. This was the message given in a meeting with a Hamas delegation visiting Egypt this week, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed has reported.

Citing a security official within the delegation, the newspaper said that, “It seemed clear to the Hamas delegation that the Egyptian side is keen to solve this issue, and quickly.” The official explained that this may be due to the Israeli prime minister needing political support from the general public.

A senior Hamas officer in the Gaza Strip said that the meetings in Cairo focused on security, the border area with Gaza and increasing coordination with the Egyptian authorities. The Hamas delegation included the Commander of the security services in the Gaza Strip, Tawfiq Abu Naim, and Marwan Issa, the chief of staff of the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the movement, which is believed to be holding the soldiers.

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Meanwhile, a source close to ousted Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan has revealed that a Hamas delegation headed by Ismail Haniyeh met with Samir Mashharawi, a prominent leader among Dahlan’s supporters. The meeting, it was pointed out, was held before former Prime Minister Haniyeh took over the leadership of the Hamas political bureau. It is claimed that five similar meetings have taken place, one of them attended by Dahlan himself.

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“The entire region is going through turbulent conditions, and the Palestinian issue is no longer the one that tops the Arab and Islamic agenda,” the source explained. “The meetings between us and the brothers in Hamas, under Egyptian auspices, aim to alleviate the suffering of Gaza and its people, especially given that Dahlan has strong Arab ties to help him.”