Diaa Rashwan (File photo: Al-Ahram)
In remarks to Egyptian news TV Al-Qahera News, Rashwan also expressed Egypt’s aspiration to further extend the truce and to incorporate other categories of Israeli-held Palestinian prisoners into the captive swap deal.
Following Egyptian-Qatari mediation, Israel and Hamas agreed earlier today to extend the humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip for two additional days after it expires on Monday.
The new deal will involve the daily release of 10 captives held in Gaza in exchange for 30 Palestinians released daily from Israeli prisons, Rashwan added.
The two-day extension will also allow more medical, food, and fuel aid into the strip, according to Rashawn.
As part of the truce deal, Hamas released as of Sunday dozens of Israeli captives in three batches in exchange for Palestinian political prisoners released by Israel.
The International Red Cross received 11 Israelis from Gaza as part of the fourth batch of captive swap, Egyptian media outlets reported on Monday evening.
According to Al-Qahera News, an Egyptian security delegation left for the Rafah crossing with Gaza to receive the Israeli captives to hand them over to the Israeli side as per the agreed-upon deal.
Reports of a disagreement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides preceded the handing over of the fourth batch of captives before Egypt and Qatar intervened.
Rashwan noted that Israel would release 33 Palestinians in return. The list of Palestinian detainees includes three women and 30 men under the age of 25, he added.
Short link: