Closer than ever to an agreement for and exchange of hostages are the with the . The latest player to express optimism about a deal was yesterday Hamas, although it added that obstacles remained because Israel was “setting new conditions”. They were preceded, in the last days, by officials from Israel, the USA, Qatar and Egypt who expressed optimism about the path towards a truce.
Burns in Qatar for the truce in Gaza
Although as everyone points out, agreement has not yet been reached, the progress that has been made is more important than any other effort in the past. Today, Wednesday (12/18), CIA Director Bill Burns is expected in Qatar for further talks on the Gaza ceasefire.
Three-phase ceasefire plan
The talks in Doha, which are being held under the auspices of Qatar and Egypt with the help of the US, are attended by representatives of Hamas and Israel, including officials from the Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence services. The terms of the deal on the table are similar to US President Joe Biden’s proposal for a three-phase plan.
Optimism about the truce
According to information from people familiar with the talks, what has changed this time and which gives room for optimism is that in the first phase, lasting 60 days, Israeli soldiers will remain in the Gaza Strip, mainly in the Philandelfi Corridor along the border with Egypt, as well as in the Netzarim Corridor that “cuts” the Strip roughly in the middle in northern and southern part. The Israeli condition for the army to remain in Philadelphia and the refusal of Hamas, which demanded a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Strip, caused the collapse of the previous talks in August. Today, however, the situation is different, as the extermination of more Hamas leaders, such as Yahya Sinwar in October, and the ceasefire agreement between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel in November, mediated. These developments show Israel’s victory, the weakening of Hamas and the maturation of conditions for a truce.
Donald Trump’s intervention
Another added element is the “intervention” of Donald Trump who pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a truce and threatened Hamas that he would regret it bitterly if the hostages were not released by the time he takes office on January 20.
The hostages
Of the 96 hostages remaining in Hamas’ hands, Israel believes 62 are alive. On December 7, according to Palestinian sources, Israel halted aircraft and drone flights for six hours so that Hamas could gather information about the hostages.
A report that Netanyahu was on his way to Cairo on Tuesday afternoon was denied by the Israeli prime minister’s office a few hours later. But optimism remains that we are very close to an agreement – some believe even within the week and others by the end of the year.
