Katz announces staged hostage deal

Katz announces staged hostage deal, plans massive Cabinet support

By David Israel-

Defense Minister Israel Katz told a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday that “we are as close as we can get to a hostage agreement since the previous agreement (November 24 to December 1, 2023 – DI).”

Katz spoke against a backdrop of cautious optimism, both in Israel and among negotiators. Divergences remain, however, the bone of contention being the number of hostages to be released.

Israel and Hamas have agreed not to disclose details of the deal that will be reached, but Katz confirmed for the first time that the deal would be implemented in stages, adding: “ There will be an overwhelming majority in the cabinet and an overwhelming majority in the government in favor of the hostage deal. »

A senior Hamas source told Saudi-owned Al-Sharq TV that the negotiations bring the parties closer to an agreement and ceasefire than ever before. According to the report, Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip showed great flexibility in the discussions and agreed to a gradual cessation of hostilities according to a pre-agreed timetable, accompanied by guarantees from of international entities.

According to the report, mediators “accelerated the pace of negotiations to narrow the gaps and reach an agreement as quickly as possible.” The source added that Hamas would not give up its demand that the agreement lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities, a full withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip and the return of displaced residents to their homes in the center. and northern Gaza.

WELCOME TO THE GAPS

It is in this area that the differences are greatest between the position of Hamas and that of Israel, especially since it seems that Katz believes that the Philadelphia corridor and the Netzarim corridor will not constitute an obstacle to the realization of the agreement since Hamas is willing to continue Israeli control over the two key sections.

“The other side understands that we are not going to end the war”emphasized M. Katz. “There is a dialogue with many parties about the next day, but the condition is that Hamas does not control the Gaza Strip. »

As you may recall, the issue of Israeli control over the Philadelphia Corridor and the Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border was one of the main obstacles to a hostage deal between Hamas and Israel over the past year. Minister Katz did not specify whether Hamas had reversed course and withdrew its demand for the withdrawal of IDF forces from Philadelphia (and Netzarim), or whether it was Israel which had agreed to relinquish control of the crossing. border between Egypt and Gaza and the two corridors in exchange for a significant release of hostages.

According to Egyptian sources cited by Al-Akhbar, discussions in recent days focused on “expanding the agreement so that it includes the release of more hostages and lasts longer, but the issue has not yet been definitively resolved.”

According to these sources, pressure from Trump is the main factor in the escalation of Israeli activity in the Gaza Strip, which aims to extract additional concessions from Hamas and allow, among other things, the “freedom of movement” of the IDF inside the gang.

According to the sources, Israel continues to oppose Egyptian demands regarding the operation of the Rafah crossing. This follows Netanyahu’s rejection of the proposal to create a committee on behalf of the Palestinian Authority to oversee mechanisms for crossing into and exiting the Gaza Strip.

JForum with www.jewishpress.com