Significant progress has been made and a hostage deal could be reached within a month, two officials familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
Behind the scenes, the talks are taking place in a positive atmosphere, according to officials involved in the negotiations, Hamas and Arab media.
Brett McGurk, White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, and Adam Boehler, President-elect Donald Trump’s special envoy for hostage affairs, are visiting the region and spoke Tuesday at subject of a hostage agreement.
Boehler, who is on a private visit, met with Captives and Missing Coordinator Gal Hirsch, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
One obstacle to reaching a hostage deal is that each first step, expected to last 40 to 60 days, will be completed after Trump takes office.
Hamas fears one possible outcome in particular and has asked for guarantees on it: that Trump allow Netanyahu to automatically resume military operations in Gaza immediately after the end of the first stage and not move to the second stage, officials said. sources informed the Post on Tuesday.
This contrasts with Hamas’s view of US President Joe Biden’s approach, which would be to exert more pressure to extend the ceasefire once the first phase is complete.
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