Report: Deal Agreed on Soldiers’ Bodies for Palestinian Seaport in Cyprus

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has agreed to the construction of a seaport for Gaza in Cyprus under Israeli security control — on condition that Hamas returns the bodies of two soldiers and two Israeli citizens they are still holding captive, according to local media reports on Monday night.

Liberman was said to have reached an agreement in principle with the president of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, during a meeting last week in the capital Nicosia, said Hadashot, which was the first to break the story.

Plans call for a working group to be created within two weeks, and for a preliminary draft to be ready within three months.

Hamas was not involved in the discussions, which took place between Israel and Cyprus.

A senior Israeli security official was quoted as saying that as soon as the plan is finalized, it will be presented directly to residents of Gaza “over Hamas’s head.”

“We will openly put the benefits package on the table and clarify: This is possible, this is the price — take it or leave it,” the official said.