After months of stalemate, there are new signs that Israel and Hamas may be nearing a deal on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release.
A senior Palestinian official involved in the indirect talks told the BBC that the talks were in a ‘decisive and final stage’.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has also said that a deal is closer than ever.
In recent weeks, the US, Qatar and Egypt have resumed their mediation efforts – with both sides in the 14-month war reportedly more willing to reach an agreement.
An Israeli delegation described as “working level” is currently in Doha, the capital of Qatar, amid a flurry of diplomatic traffic in the region.
The Palestinian official outlined a three-phase plan to free civilians and female soldiers held hostage in Gaza in the first 45 days, with Israeli forces taking control of the city center, the coastal road and the border with Egypt. The adjacent lands will move out of the strategic belt. .
The official said there would be a mechanism for displaced Gazans to return to the north of the territory.
In the second phase, the remaining hostages will be freed and in the third phase, the troops will be withdrawn before the end of the war.
Of the 96 hostages still in Gaza, 62 are believed by Israel to be alive.
The plan appears to be based on an agreement outlined by US President Joe Biden on May 31, and reports from all parties stress that there are key details to be worked out.
A round of talks in mid-October failed to produce an agreement, with Hamas rejecting a proposal for a short-term ceasefire.
According to his spokesman, Katz told members of the Israeli parliament’s foreign affairs committee on Monday: “We have not come this close to an agreement on hostages since the last deal,” on hostages in Israel and the Palestinians in November. 2023 referring to the exchange of prisoners.
He has since written on X: “My position on Gaza is clear. After defeating the military and government power of Hamas in Gaza, Israel will have complete independence and security control over Gaza.” Compare this with the situation in the occupied West Bank. .
“We will not allow any terrorist acts from Gaza against Israeli communities and Israeli citizens. We will not allow a return to the pre-October 7 reality.”
Such comments could be seen as problems by negotiators trying to bridge the gap with Hamas. In Israel, however, they are seen as crucial to guaranteeing the support of far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, who have previously warned against agreeing to what they described as a “reckless” deal in Gaza. will not.
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic armed group that rules Gaza, launched an unprecedented cross-border attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed and 253 others were kidnapped.
More than 100 hostages have been released through negotiations or rescue operations by the Israeli army.
On December 7, Palestinian sources said Israel halted aircraft movements and drone surveillance over the area for six hours at the request of mediators, allowing Hamas to gather information about the hostages. went
The pro-Qatari newspaper Al Arabi al-Jadeed then reported that Hamas had handed over a list of sick and elderly Israeli hostages, as well as US citizens, to Egyptian intelligence officials. The newspaper said there were also names of Palestinian prisoners the group was demanding as part of the deal.
At the start of the war in Gaza, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas’ governance and military capabilities. More than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, which the United Nations and others consider reliable.
Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced, there has been widespread destruction and there is now widespread hunger amid the ongoing struggle to get aid to those in need.
Donald Trump’s victory in November’s US presidential election has given diplomatic efforts a new boost.
At a news conference on Monday, he again warned that a ceasefire agreement must be reached before taking office, otherwise, “it will not be pleasant.”