Talks for a new truce between Israel and Hamas are progressing, despite lingering differences on several key points. According to the Egyptian channel Al-Rad, Hamas agreed to release 34 hostages requested by Israel during a first phase, 11 of whom did not meet the criteria initially established, in exchange for “special compensation”. A senior Palestinian official involved in the negotiations told the BBC that “90%” of the discussions had been completed, specifying that “for every female soldier released, we will demand 20 Palestinian prisoners.” The list of inmates eligible for release includes about 400 people serving sentences of 25 years or more.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, reaffirmed in the Wall Street Journal that he would not accept an agreement ending the war: “We will not stop until we eliminate Hamas”, provoking the anger of the families of hostages. Einav Zangauker reacted in particular by accusing Netanyahu of “wanting to bury Matan”.
Negotiations are still stumbling on several points, notably the Israeli military presence along the Philadelphia corridor on the Egyptian-Gaza border. The return of displaced people to northern Gaza is also debated, with a possible solution involving an Egyptian-Qatari supervision mechanism.
Concerning Palestinian prisoners, Israel vetoed the release of Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah figure serving five life sentences. “Contrary to erroneous reports, terrorist Marwan Barghouti will not be released if a hostage deal comes to fruition,” an Israeli diplomatic source said.
The envisaged agreement provides for a seven-week truce and the daily entry of 500 trucks of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The first phase would focus on the release of women and civilians, before subsequently addressing the issue of detained soldiers and men.
