“The ball is in Hamas’ court” to reach an agreement on a truce in the Gaza Strip, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday, after 15 months of a war between Israel and Hamas which caused tens of thousands of deaths.
All eyes are on Qatar this Tuesday evening. After 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas and tens of thousands of deaths, a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip is about to be signed. A text proposed by the United States, which provides, in particular, for the release of Israeli hostages.
“If Hamas accepts it, the agreement is ready to be concluded and implemented“Mr. Blinken said hours after Qatar claimed that discussions on this agreement were at the “stade final“.
Qatar, the main mediator country with the United States and Egypt, assures that the “main problems” blocking a deal have been resolved.
“We have never been closer to the goal but for now we are waiting for Hamas to accept the project. And until he does, we will remain on alert“, affirmed the American Secretary of State, while saying “I think” that a truce agreement will be concluded.
According to sources close to the negotiations, the first phase of the agreement provides for the release of 33 Israeli hostages. In exchange, Israel would release more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and gradually withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip where nearly 50,000 people have lost their lives.
This ceasefire project is based on an American proposal formulated several months ago. “Donald Trump said that if Hamas did not release the hostages, all hell would break loose. This is a very strong statement coming from the President-elect of the United States, it has created enough pressure on the parties to move forward in the negotiations“, explains Sharren Haskel, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister.
The situation still remains tense on the ground despite this progress. Again this Monday, 61 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza.
Emotion and concern in Israel
In Tel Aviv, the hope of this agreement arouses a lot of emotion, but also concern among the families of the hostages, gathered in the city. “There is a lot of concern around the state of health of these hostages who could be released in the coming days“, explains our correspondent on site, Bethsabee Salem. “33 hostages who would be released during a humanitarian phase out of the 94 kidnapped on October 7, 2023 and who are still in Gaza“.
“Hostages who therefore spent more than 15 months in captivity. Major hospitals, particularly in Tel Aviv, have been preparing for several days to receive these hostages and provide them with appropriate care. There is also a lot of anxiety about the hostages who will not be released in the coming days. We’re talking about dozens of men. Men under the age of 50, those whom Hamas automatically considers Israeli soldiers, are not among the hostages released in the first phase. And their families fear that once the first hostages are released and the Israeli army withdraws from Gaza, that there will be no more possible pressure on Hamas and that ultimately these hostages, de facto, will be abandoned in the hands of Hamas. Hamas“, concludes our correspondent.
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