A senior Hamas operative informed the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (the New Arab) newspaper that Hamas was warning against any harm being done to the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Jewish festivals during the current month of Tishrei, and that they stressed that, "Hamas and the resistance organizations in Gaza are determined and staunch in their positions, and are clarifying that they will not reconcile themselves to any desecration of Al-Aqsa in return for any form of concessions including those applied to the Gaza Strip." He added that, "The rocket launchers are already fitted with rockets."
According to the report in the New Arab, Egypt has requested of Israel that she maintain the peace in Jerusalem and in the Al-Aqsa Mosque specifically, in order to prevent a widespread outbreak of violent clashes on the Arab and Islamic streets.
The Egyptian source added that Cairo still believes that it is possible to make further progress in a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas if the quiet is sustained for a relatively long period.
Meanwhile, Palestinian sources have stated that a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly several days ago dealt, among other things, with attempts to advance a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.
