Report: Israel renews talks with Hamas for long-term deal

Lebanese newspaper reports Hamas and Israel have renewed talks, with UN envoy slated to meet Hamas officials in push to reach deal.

Israel has renewed talks with the Hamas terror organization over the past two days, in the hopes of reaching a long-term deal to deescalate tensions between Israel and the Gaza Strip, a Lebanese newspaper reported Friday.

According to a report in Al-Akhbar, talks between Israel and Hamas via an Egyptian intermediary were renewed two days ago, with United Nations special Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov set to meet with Hamas leaders as part of a bid to secure a deal with Israel.

The deal is, according to the report, intended to resolve long-standing issues including the return of Israelis civilians and the remains of two Israeli soldiers held by the Gaza-based terror group, along with Hamas’ demands Israel ease the terms of the security blockade on the coastal enclave.

Mladenov met earlier this week with Israel’s Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett.

Despite the renewal of talks and Mladenov’s involvement in trying to reach a deal, a senior official with knowledge of the negotiations told Ynet Friday that no breakthrough had yet been reached on the return of Israeli civilians and the remains of fallen Israeli soldiers.