Media: Israel, Egypt tackle security issues and Gaza hostage release

Head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency Ronen Bar has made a secret visit to Cairo where he met with Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate Abbas Kamel. 

During the meeting, Bar and Kamel discussed the resumption of negotiations for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. They also addressed ongoing issues related to the Philadelphia Corridor and the Rafah border crossing, Caliber.Az reports via Walla. 

On October 8, a delegation from the radical Palestinian movement Hamas arrived in Cairo to discuss unity with the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah). The organisations aimed to address reconciliation issues and seek potential agreements.

On October 9, representative of Hamas' political leadership in Lebanon Ayman Shanaa stated that the movement sees no point in negotiating a prisoner exchange with Israel until a complete ceasefire is achieved and the Israeli army withdraws from Gaza. He emphasised that Israel is mistaken because it thinks that it can weaken Palestinian resistance. 

Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported on social media that Bar and Kamel discussed the stalled negotiations regarding a hostage release agreement and a ceasefire, but did not achieve any results. This was Bar's first visit to Cairo since August 22.

By Naila Huseynova