German newspaper reveals Germany's role in prisoner exchange negotiations between Israel and Hamas

The German newspaper "Zeit" said that the German Federal Intelligence Agency, known simply as "BND," undertakes a secret mission to negotiate between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

"The focus of the talks is on exchanging the bodies of two Israeli soldiers and other Israeli civilians with Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons," said the weekly edition of the "Zeite", to be published tomorrow, and a copy of which Al-Jazeera viewed.

The newspaper says, "The two Israeli soldiers, Oron Shaul and Hadar Golden," were killed in 2014 during the Gaza war, while the two Israeli civilians, one of whom is of Ethiopian origin and the other of Bedouin (...), both of whom are considered mentally unstable, are held in the Gaza Strip.

The newspaper said, "The German intelligence agency launched the negotiation process between Hamas and Israel during the summer of 2018 after German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas offered help during his first visit to Israel in March 2018."

Discussions and details
The newspaper indicated that the secret talks are managed by two German agents and a Swiss diplomat, and are taking place in Cairo and the region (the Middle East).

The Zeit says that the statements of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh have long spoken of their willingness to exchange prisoners.

"Zahava Shaul, the mother of the missing Israeli soldier, Oron Shaul, has already visited Berlin on several occasions," the German newspaper added.

She quoted her as inviting officials in Gaza and Jerusalem to reach an agreement, adding that "Oron's fate must be clarified."

Negotiations and denial
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his agreement last month to negotiate through mediators to complete the exchange deal.

Israel says that since the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza, Hamas has detained four Israelis, including two soldiers whom Israel believes were killed in the fighting.

Hamas is demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails as opposed to the four Israelis.

On Tuesday, Hamas denied any qualitative progress in the prisoner exchange negotiations with the mediators with Israel, in response to what was reported by Israeli media a few days ago that Netanyahu held a special and exceptional meeting last week with the Ministerial Committee on Prisoners and Missing Persons Affairs, to discuss the possibility of concluding a deal To exchange prisoners.