Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant informed his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, that there was currently “a chance” to reach an agreement for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023 .
“There is a chance today to reach a new agreement,” Mr. Gallant told Mr. Austin in a telephone call, according to a statement from his ministry. “We hope for the release of all hostages, including American citizens,” he added.
For more than a year, the United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to negotiate a ceasefire and an agreement for the release of hostages between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas.
On Monday, a source close to Hamas told AFP that the group had “informed the Egyptian Minister of Intelligence of its efforts to collect information” on the Israeli hostages still alive. This source specified that Hamas had drawn up a list of living hostages.
“If Israel accepts the Egyptian proposal, the exchange agreement can be implemented,” added this source.
Another sign of hope came from Qatar, which announced on Saturday that Donald Trump's election as US president in November, and his inauguration in January, had created new “momentum” for negotiations .
At the same time, a source close to the Hamas delegation revealed that Turkey, like Egypt and Qatar, had “taken commendable initiatives to end the war”, and that a new round of negotiations could begin under little.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also expressed some optimism, telling the families of the hostages that Israel's military successes against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas would facilitate negotiations for their release.
