Iran Press/ West Asia: Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday discussed with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel the course of ongoing negotiations to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
During a phone call, Kamel also extended his condolences to Haniyeh for the killing of his older sister and other relatives in an Israeli airstrike a few days ago, according to a press statement issued by Hamas.
The call came after Israel's Hebrew public radio Kan reported that the U.S. administration presented a revised version of a prisoner exchange deal that includes a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The new offer is based on the proposal approved by the then-Israeli war cabinet and presented by U.S. President Joe Biden last month, the radio said.
On Friday, a Hamas source said the movement received a new message from the United States regarding the prisoner exchange deal with Israel, noting that the message was passed through intermediaries to continue negotiations for a truce in Gaza.
The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli 9-month aggressions in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 has exceeded 37,800, the enclave’s Health Ministry said in a statement.
Qatari and Egyptian mediators, in addition to the United States, are seeking to reach a prisoner exchange deal and a second truce between Israel and Hamas, following the first truce that lasted a week until early December 2023. 219
