Hamas announced on Monday having received, via the Egyptian mediators, an Israeli proposal for Truce in the Gaza Strip in the grip for 18 months to a war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement.
Here is what we know about this proposal.
What is it planning?
According to an official of Hamas speaking on Monday from AFP, Israel is asking for the return, in several times, of ten living hostages in exchange for a truce of “at least 45 days”, of the liberation, in two phases, of a total of 1,231 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and an authorization to bring humanitarian aid in the Palestinian territory.
The Israeli public channel Kan 11 evokes the return, in three stages, of 25 hostages, nine alive and 16 dead, against a 45 -day truce.
Israel did not speak on his proposal for a temporary truce.
During the unprecedented attack perpetrated by Hamas against southern Israel on October 7, 2023, 251 people had been removed. Fifty-eights are still retained in Gaza, including 34 dead, according to the Israeli army.
A truce, between January 19 and March 17, allowed the return to Israel of 33 hostages, including eight dead, in exchange for the exit of around 1,800 Palestinians from Israeli prisons.
The different phases of a possible agreement would provide for redeployments of the Israeli army within the Gaza Strip, where it has taken control of important portions of the territory in recent weeks.
What is the calendar?
According to Hamas official, Israel demands “as a sign of good will” the return, the first day of the agreement, of the Israeli-American hostage Alexander Aidan.
It is the only living hostage having American nationality still retained by the Palestinian movement which broadcast a video of him on Saturday.
On the second day, Hamas would release five living hostages against 66 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life and 611 detainees from Gaza. The entry of humanitarian aid in the territory would be authorized.
According to the Palestinian movement manager, Israel demands that the liberation will be done without a public ceremony – as has been done by Hamas in the past.
The third day would see, according to him, the opening of negotiations on a “permanent ceasefire” that Israel conditions a disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups, a requirement which, according to the official, crosses “a red line (…) non-negotiable” for Hamas.
The second week, he said, Hamas was expected to release four other hostages against 54 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life and 500 others arrested by Israel after October 7, 2023.
According to the calendar mentioned by Kan 11, five hostages would be returned to Israel on the second day of the agreement, four other on the seventh day, then 16 hostage remains on the twentieth day. The chain does not mention Alexander Aidan.
Where are we?
Hamas says it has received the proposal via mediators on Sunday during a visit to a delegation in Cairo. According to the movement manager, the delegation left on Monday morning.
“The movement will respond to the proposal (…), once our internal consultations are completed, and after consultations with the leaders of the Movements of the Palestinian Resistance,” a member of his political bureau, Souheil Al-Hindi on Tuesday.
He did not provide a date.
“Hamas has no problem with the number of hostages and is ready to release them all at once or in several phases,” said the manager who was expressed with AFP.
“Hamas will not accept any proposal or solution which does not understand a global and permanent cease-fire, a total withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, as well as the entry of humanitarian aid,” he added, repeating that the movement would refuse to disarm, “a red line as long as the occupation (Israeli) exists”.
The Tikva forum (“hope” in Hebrew), which brings together several relatives of hostages, said on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had maintained himself with the mother of a hostage member of the forum, and told him that the agreement which takes shape provides for the release of ten living hostages.
With AFP
