Despite recent hopes and the resumption of talks, negotiations between Hamas and Israel over the hostages have reached an impasse, according to Arab mediators cited by the Wall Street Journal. The latter believe that an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages is unlikely before the end of the mandate of American President Joe Biden. Discussions focused on a 60-day truce in Gaza in exchange for the release of 30 hostages meeting certain criteria. Hamas has reportedly backed away from demanding a complete end to the war immediately, focusing instead on a temporary ceasefire, the release of Palestinian prisoners and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.
However, obstacles persist. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Hamas rejected 12 of the 34 hostages whose release Israel requested – instead proposing the release of 22 live hostages and 12 bodies.” Egyptian sources previously reported that Hamas refused to release 11 of the 34 hostages requested by Israel, considering them soldiers.
Another sticking point concerns Palestinian prisoners. Arab mediators say Israel has refused to release some detainees requested by Hamas. Although the mediators did not specify which ones, previous reports suggest that Hamas wants the release of Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah leader sentenced in 2004 to five life sentences for terrorist acts.
The process is also complicated by the fact that Hamas has not provided a complete list of hostages still alive, according to sources cited by Israeli media. Despite the Biden administration's optimism about the future of a hostage deal, the Wall Street Journal report suggests that any eventual deal would come under Donald Trump's presidency. The latter repeatedly warned that there would be “hell to pay” if Hamas continued to hold the hostages.
-“We continue to work as hard as possible to try to put a ceasefire agreement in place before we leave,” John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council, said last Friday. He added: “It is because of Hamas obstructing or refusing to move forward on these details that we still have no conclusion.”
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