Talks between Hamas and Israel renewed - report

Talks concerning an agreement between the Hamas terrorist group and Israel have renewed in the past two days said Hamas officials to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar on Friday, according to Ynet.

The UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nikolay Mladenov is expected to meet with the leadership of Hamas in the coming days in order to complete talks about an agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Mladenov will also discuss a long-term agreement addressing issues such as prisoners, hostages and missing people and the easing of the blockade on the Gaza Strip.

A senior official familiar with the negotiations told Ynet that there is still no breakthrough concerning the Israelis being held by Hamas although the official added that the implementation of understandings could make bring progress to the negotiations.

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, denied any progress related to a potential prisoner swap with Israel.

“There’s no progress in the negotiations with the occupation,” he told the Turkish news agency Anadolu. “The Israeli government is not prepared to pay a price for a new prisoner exchange.”

Hayya said that Hamas is ready to negotiate a new prisoner swap.

“We are ready, our negotiating team is ready, the files are ready and the decisions are ready,” he added. “We are ready for marathon negotiations on condition that the occupation is ready to pay the price. But Israel isn’t ready.”

A field hospital is currently being built near the Erez Crossing between Israel and Gaza that will provide Gazan residents with more advanced medical care. The hospital is funded by Americans and was approved by Israel.

The Gaza Strip is also being connected to an electricity line from Israel.