Senior Israeli officials are currently evaluating Hamas’s response to a potential hostage release-ceasefire deal, according to a joint statement from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Mossad on Wednesday evening.
“The hostages deal mediators have conveyed to the negotiating team Hamas’s remarks on the outline of the hostages deal,” the statement read.
“Israel is evaluating the remarks and will convey its reply to the mediators.”
Also, a senior Israeli official told CNN that Israel and Hamas are “on the brink” of signing a deal.
The first stage of the deal will reportedly see the return of female hostages, children, the injured, the ill, and the elderly. Israel will commit to evacuating the Rafah Crossing until a deal is reached on who will control the area in the future. However, Israel did not commit to a complete withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor or not to resume fighting after the first stage of the agreement.
However, there are still reportedly major snags in the agreement, including Hamas’s insistence on Israel committing to not continuing the war after the first stage.
Channel 12 News reported that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with the families of hostages on Wednesday evening and told them a hostage deal is “closer than ever before.”
Gallant explained that Hamas is being heavily pressured by Qatar and the US to agree to a deal.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
oh please just give me a break already ok and what good will the ceasefire do zilch as hamas will never give in and break the ceasefire at any cost just like hitler yemach shem
broke the treaty in the holocaust let them come home already in mind body and spirit enough is enough already how long will this war go on for 6 years like the holocaust do u really want 6 million people killed again like in the holocaust really now
leahspitzer:
It’s extremely strategic and there’s tact for a ceasefire. As you say, Hamas will never accept a ceasefire – it will be broken in a matter of months or even weeks. Israel will then be able to claim the right to attack and who will call for ceasefire?
Yes, there will be Arab nations to call one but the world will give Israel much more credence; the talk about ceasefire is so loaded – the world wouldn’t jump to hypocrisy to condemn Israel the way they did after the 7th