From the Liveblog of
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Liberman denies ‘breakthrough’ in Hamas prisoner exchange talks
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman denies reports of a “breakthrough” in talks with Hamas over returning Israeli citizens and bodies of soldiers held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
“We have no contact with Hamas. There’s an ongoing effort to release our soldiers and civilians held in Hamas captivity,” Lieberman says in an interview with Galey Israel radio. “And there’s no breakthrough.”
“We don’t negotiate with terror organisations,” he says, calling the weekend reports in Arab media “psychological warfare” by Hamas.
On Saturday, the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reported that Israel and Hamas were on the brink of an initial deal in which Hamas would provide information on the missing Israelis in return for the release of groups of Palestinian prisoners.
— AFP
The Times of Israel Community.