Al Jazeera learned from sources close to the prisoner exchange negotiations between Israel and Hamas that the latter informed the mediators that it is not prepared to discuss any humanitarian or comprehensive deal without a ceasefire.

The sources also confirmed that the current visit of the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, to Cairo does not fall within the framework of prisoner negotiations, but rather within the framework of seeking to lift the siege on Gaza and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid, especially since Ghazi Hamad, who is responsible for the crossings in the Gaza Strip, is among the delegation.

This comes after CIA Director William Burns traveled to the Polish capital, Warsaw, yesterday, Monday, to meet with David Barnea, director of the Israeli intelligence service (Mossad), and the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, according to American and Egyptian officials.

An American official said that the meetings are an attempt to resume discussions about the prisoners.

Yesterday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog confirmed that the Mossad chief had been sent twice to Europe to reactivate the humanitarian truce to free the prisoners. Israeli Channel 12 also reported that important, serious and in-depth talks are taking place regarding the details of the hostage deal, but the agreement is not imminent, while Israeli Channel 13 quoted an informed official, saying that the costs of the new deal are likely to be high for Israel.

On the other hand, Reuters quoted the US White House as saying that the discussions regarding a humanitarian truce and the release of the hostages are very serious, and that it has become possible for humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip from Jordan.