TEHRAN, Jan. 09 (MNA) – An Israeli delegation has reportedly traveled to the Egyptian capital with the aim of resuming negotiations for the exchange of prisoners between the regime and the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas.

An unnamed Egyptian source has been by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed website that a Zionist delegation left for Cairo on Monday night to resume talks with Hamas on swapping Israeli captives with the Palestinians languishing in Israeli jails.   

This delegation reportedly arrived in Cairo after Egyptian authorities announced stopping any mediation with the Zionist regime following the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of the political office of Hamas in an Israeli drone strike on the suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, last week.

The Hamas movement had previously declared that it would hold no talks with the regime until there is a complete cessation of Israeli onslaught on Gaza.

Last month, as part of a week-long humanitarian truce brokered by Qatar and Egypt, humanitarian aid entered Gaza and enabled the two sides to exchange 105 captives held in Gaza, including 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners for 240 Palestinian abductees held by Israel.

Israel claims that about 137 captives are still in Gaza, while there are thought to be 7,000 Palestinians abductees in different Israeli prisons, with many of them being held for years without any charge or trial. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition are facing condemnations at home for their failure to get the remaining captives freed.  

MNA/