Egypt's spy chief reveals terms for a proposed Israel, Hamas ceasefire

Egypt's chief of general intelligence has revealed details of a proposed ceasefire-fire between Israel and Palestinian resistance group Hamas in Gaza, inclusive of a prisoner swap.

Spy chief Abbas Kamel's remarks were delivered at an interview on Thursday with Israeli journalists Barak Ravid and Nadav Eyal for  Axios news website, on the sidelines of the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

Kamel revealed that the proposed cease-fire includes a long-term cease-fire, a prisoner swap, humanitarian aid to Gaza and reconstruction.

"Egypt speaks every day to Israel and the Palestinians on several issues, including a potential long-term cease-fire deal in Gaza," Kamel said.

The news comes hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that he will meet Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his team in Washington, DC next week, the State Department said Thursday.

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Renewed engagement

Kamel said the prisoner swap deal “should start with the release of elderly Palestinian prisoners and of Palestinian women and teenagers who are in Israeli prisons."

He also noted that the deal would include "further economic and humanitarian steps" for Palestinians in Gaza.

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Gaza has been under a tightened Israeli blockade since 2007 in which most basic goods still enter the region under highly restricted measures.

In May, an Israeli offensive left nearly 260 Palestinians dead and thousands wounded as well as a vast trail of destruction in Gaza. Palestinian resistance groups responded with rocket barrages into Israeli areas, killing at least 13 Israelis.

On the subject of talks between Palestinians and Israelis, Kamel said Egypt wants to see the new Israeli government and the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah begin some form of political dialogue.

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Peace talks between the Palestinian and Israeli sides collapsed in 2014 after Israel withdrew from its previous decision to release a fourth batch of former prisoners and for refusing to halt its settlement plans.

The Egyptian Intelligence chief also revealed that he will visit Israel later this month for talks with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and other senior officials, adding he will also meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in the central West Bank.