Gaza Truce Seems Possible This Week, Hamas Likely To Release 33 Hostages During Phase 1
Israel believes that all of the 33 hostages are alive, however, it is likely the bodies of the deceased hostages will be among those released during the initial 42-day ceasefire.
As the first phase of the ceasefire agreement is being finalised in Doha, Qatar, by the mediators, it is likely Hamas that Hamas will release the 33 hostages who were taken from Israel during the October 7, 2023 attacks.
On Monday, mediators gave Israel and Hamas the final draft of the deal to end the war in Gaza, after a midnight “breakthrough” in talks attended by them, including envoys of both outgoing US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump
According to CNN, Israel believes that all of the 33 hostages are alive, however, it is likely the bodies of the deceased hostages will be among those released during the initial 42-day ceasefire. Hamas and its allies still hold 94 hostages, at least 34 of whom are dead.
As per the report, a senior Israeli official said that the parties were on the verge of an agreement and Israel is prepared to immediately implement the deal once inked.
Sharing similar optimism US President Joe Biden, on Monday in a speech focused on foreign policy, said the US was “pressing hard to close this.” He said the deal would “free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to Israel” and allow the US to send more humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians who suffered during the war “that Hamas started”.
“They have been through hell,” Biden was quoted by CNN.
While speaking to the new outlet, a diplomat involved in the negotiations said that a final round of proximity talks to resolve any remaining issues was scheduled for Tuesday in Doha. On the same day, some of the hostages’ families have been invited to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Qadura Fares, head of the Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees, informed CNN on Monday that he was travelling to Doha to advise negotiators on the list of detainees to be released “if the deal materializes.”
‘Close To Getting It Done’
Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters the negotiations were at a "pivotal" point, with gaps between two sides slowly getting removed. "I think there is a good chance we can close this ... the parties are right on the cusp of being able to close this deal," he said.
The incoming US President Donald Trump stated on Monday that he is "very close" to finalizing a ceasefire deal with Hamas before his inauguration on January 20.
"We are very close to getting it done," he said in an interview with Newsmax. "They will get it done," he went on to predict. "I understand there's been a handshake and they're getting it finished, maybe by the end of the week."
According to CNN, the latest proposals state that Israeli forces would maintain a presence along the Philadelphi Corridor – a narrow strip of land along the Egypt-Gaza border – during the first phase of the agreement.
The presence of Israeli troops in the corridor previously led to the collapse of a potential agreement during the last round of negotiations in September. Israel would also establish a buffer zone within Gaza along the border with Israel, however, it did not provide the details of the width of the zone – a point of contention during the negotiations.
A Hamas official told Reuters, "The negotiation over some core issues made progress and we are working to conclude what remains soon”
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