By Zein Khalil
JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel is ready to resume contact with mediators for the possible release of other Israeli captives held in Gaza, local media reported Monday.
The new prisoner exchange deal would be carried out within the framework of a humanitarian truce and include women still in captivity, patients and the wounded and elderly people, said Israel’s Channel 12.
Israel says there are still women being held captive by Hamas, a claim rejected by the Palestinian group, which says those women are soldiers and were taken captive while wearing Israeli army uniforms.
Hamas has insisted that talks over those soldiers will be held at a later stage, a position that contributed to the collapse of the humanitarian pause in Gaza and the resumption of fighting on Dec. 1.
According to Israeli media, Hamas still holds 137 captives including 126 Israelis and 11 foreigners.
Channel 12 said Israeli officials believe that the chances of reaching a new prisoner swap deal with Hamas are not likely next week but Israel still believes in opening a new path, benefiting from the pressure on Hamas that resulted from the fighting in Gaza.
The channel quoted a military source as saying that the intensity of fighting has begun to open a path for a possible prisoner swap that must not be missed.
During the week-long humanitarian pause in Gaza, a prisoner swap took place under Qatari, Egyptian and US mediation which resulted in the release of 84 Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for releasing 240 Palestinians from Israeli jails, including 71 women and 169 children.
Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a week-long humanitarian pause with Hamas.
At least 18,205 Palestinians have been killed and more than 49,645 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.
The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar