Close to an agreement for a truce in are the and , after the concessions that the organization seems to make to Israel’s demands, such as .
More specifically, the armed group informed mediators for the first time that it would accept a deal that would allow Israeli forces to remain temporarily in Gaza after the fighting ceases. In addition, Hamas handed over a list of hostages, including American citizens, that it would release as part of a ceasefire deal – something it had not done since the first ceasefire in the conflict last year.
The new plan, proposed by Cairo and supported by the United States, aims to build on the momentum that was achieved in November and has been largely maintained, despite mutual accusations of violations between Israel and Hezbollah.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far not commented. He said on Monday that there were some developments in the truce talks, but it was too early to say whether a deal was possible.
The progress toward a deal comes after an Egyptian delegation visited Israel in late November and after US President-elect Donald Trump said earlier this month that “” in the Middle East if the hostages are not released before he takes office in January.
As part of the latest proposal, Israel and Hamas are considering a 60-day truce period in which up to 30 hostages held in Gaza, including American citizens, would be released, according to mediators. In return, Israel will release Palestinian prisoners and allow increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Previous rounds of talks have repeatedly failed, but Hamas in recent weeks has shown greater flexibility on several key issues.
Willingness to compromise
Hamas has long resisted Israel’s demands, but has now expressed willingness to compromise, especially after Hezbollah reached a ceasefire in Lebanon. This agreement left Hamas, already weakened by Israeli attacks, isolated in its fight against Israel.
Hamas on Sunday submitted to mediators in Cairo a list of hostages, including American citizens, women, the elderly and captives with medical conditions, as well as the names of five dead hostages. He also drew up a list of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons whose release is required under the deal. The hostages could be released immediately after the deal is signed, while Hamas will be given additional time to gather information on the remaining hostages. , their location and status.
Netanyahu’s demands
The latest round of talks had stalled over Netanyahu’s demands for Israeli forces to remain in the strategic corridors in Gaza. Other sticking points include whether the ceasefire will be temporary or permanent, guarding the Gaza-Egypt border and controlling Palestinians returning to northern Gaza. Other issues concern the Palestinian prisoners to be released and the number of live hostages to be released.
Netanyahu, in response to a reporter’s question about whether he is willing to give up Israel’s presence in the Philadelphia corridor, said the corridor must remain under Israeli control.
