Ibrahim says 'few hours left' before Gaza truce, confirms meeting Haniyeh in Qatar

Former General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim has confirmed a role in the negotiations with Hamas over a prisoner swap with Israel.

"Few hours separate us from the humanitarian truce in Gaza," Ibrahim said in a televised interview on Wednesday night.

Abbas said he has met with Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar and that he is mediating the prisoner swap issue for "humanitarian reasons."

As Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is expected to deliver a speech on Saturday, Ibrahim expected the speech to be escalatory and sharp-toned.

On another note, Abbas said that U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein's visit to Beirut aimed at keeping Hezbollah out of the Israel-Hamas war. He added that he also discussed with Hochstein other topics that will go public once the results are achieved.

Hochstein had met Tuesday with caretaker Prime Mininster Najib Mikati, Speaker Nabih Berri, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab and with Ibrahim, who had negotiated hostage cases in the past.

Ibrahim had recently said that he is playing a role in the hostage situation and that he is in contact with Hamas and U.S. officials.