According to Palestinian Minister Hussein a-Sheikh, Israel received a request to allow residents of East Jerusalem to participate as voters and candidates - and replied that it would give an answer after the elections in Israel.
Residents of East Jerusalem at the Nablus Gate
Photo:
Oren Ben Hakon
Israel has announced that it will address the issue of East Jerusalem residents' participation in the Palestinian elections after the 24th Knesset elections next week, the PA's Minister of Civil Affairs, Hussein a-Sheikh, who is close to Abu Mazen, stated today (Thursday).
"We have officially received a response from Israel regarding the issue of East Jerusalem residents' participation in the Palestinian elections as voters and candidates," al-Sheikh said. "We have received official documents to prove this."
Al-Sheikh stressed that the latest statement from Israel was incorrect.
"We received a response from Israel to a request stating that they would not give an answer before the Israeli election," he stressed.
The senior Palestinian official referred to what came in from political sources today, because so far Israel has not received a request from the PA regarding the East Jerusalem elections and has not discussed it.
The same sources stated that in the past, residents in the east of the capital were allowed to participate in the elections.
On the way to a prisoner exchange deal?
Meanwhile, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar learned from sources in the Hamas terrorist organization that it was ready to sign a prisoner exchange deal with Israel before the Palestinian elections on May 22, or even in the coming weeks.
However, Hamas representatives stressed to Egyptian officials in Cairo's intelligence services that Israel must meet the conditions set by the terrorist organization.
The report shows that there is no significant change in Hamas' position and he is not willing to compromise on the issue.
According to sources, Hamas believes that such a deal will have significant implications for the internal situation, especially if it leads to the release of a large number of senior Hamas and Fatah figures. Before Israel releases the remanded prisoners of the Shalit deal.
The report further states that Hamas is aiming for a deal that will include the release of thousands of security prisoners who have been sentenced to long prison terms.
This, in addition to Palestinian leaders from all factions.
Sources noted that Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, put the issue of prisoners at the top of his list of priorities during the new term after he was recently re-elected.