Gaza truce negotiations ‘at final stage’: Qatar

Qatar said on Tuesday that a ceasefire agreement in Gaza could be reached “very soon”the negotiations being “at the final stage”after 15 months of a war between Israel and Hamas which left tens of thousands dead in the Palestinian territory.

A week before Donald Trump’s return to the White House on January 20, indirect negotiations intensified in Doha with a view to a truce associated with the release of hostages held in Gaza since the attack by the Islamist movement Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, which started the war.

“There is a real desire on our part to reach an agreement on the hostages”declared Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in Rome. “If we succeed, we will have a majority in government that will support the agreement. »

In a phone call, US President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi “underlined the importance of the commitment of the parties concerned (…) to demonstrate the flexibility necessary to achieve” to an agreement, according to the Egyptian presidency.

Qatar, the main mediating country with the United States and Egypt, said the negotiations were “at the final stage”THE “main problems” having been settled, without specifying which ones.

“We hope this will lead to an agreement very soon”said a spokesperson for Qatari diplomacy.

According to two sources close to Hamas, 33 hostages should be released during the first phase of the agreement in progress, in exchange for a thousand Palestinians detained by Israel. The captives would be released “in groups, starting with children and women”according to one of them.

The Israeli government has confirmed that it is seeking the release of “33 hostages” during the first stage, and was ready to release “hundreds” Palestinian prisoners.

– “Time is running out” –

In Jerusalem, relatives of hostages gathered in the evening in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office to demand an agreement guaranteeing the rapid release of all captives.

“Time is running out, the living hostages will eventually die. Dead hostages risk being lost. We must act now”said Gil Dickman, cousin of hostage Carmel Gat, during the rally.

In the Gaza Strip, where Israel is increasing its deadly strikes, Nadia Moustafa Madi, a displaced person, prays that“a truce be declared”. “I am ready to rebuild my life amid the rubble”she said.

At least 18 people, including children, were killed in nighttime Israeli strikes across the devastated Palestinian territory, according to emergency services. A total of 61 people died in 24 hours, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health.

The Israeli army said it had targeted “Hamas terrorists”.

Since the start of the war, only a one-week truce has been observed at the end of November 2023, the negotiations carried out since coming up against the intransigence of the belligerents.

But international pressure increased for a ceasefire associated with the release of the 94 hostages still held in Gaza, 34 of whom died according to the Israeli army. Especially after Donald Trump promised “hell” to the region if the hostages were not released before his return to power.

“Ball in Hamas’ court”

According to an Israeli official, negotiations for the second phase of the agreement will begin on “16th day” after the entry into force of the first phase.

The second phase will concern the release of the last hostages, “either soldiers and men of age to be mobilized and (the return) of the bodies of dead hostages”according to the Times of Israel.

Hamas said it wanted “a clear and global agreement”.

“We are close to the goal, but not there yet”said an Israeli official. Israel will not, however, leave “No Gaza until all the hostages are returned, the living and the dead”he stressed.

For Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “The ball is in Hamas’s court. If Hamas accepts it, the agreement is ready to be concluded and implemented”.

According to Israeli media, Israel must maintain a « zone tampon » in the Gaza Strip during the first phase of the agreement.

Israeli forces are expected to remain present until “800 meters deep in the territory, in an area going from Rafah in the south to Beit Hanoun in the north”according to a source close to Hamas.

“Catastrophic”

The ongoing talks in Qatar are taking place with Hamas and Israeli negotiators present in two separate rooms, according to a source close to the talks.

In total, 251 people were kidnapped during the attack on October 7, 2023, which led to the death of 1,210 people on the Israeli side, the majority civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data.

At least 46,645 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s military campaign of retaliation in the besieged Gaza Strip, which is in the grip of a humanitarian disaster, according to data from the Hamas Health Ministry.

According to Israeli commentators, Mr. Netanyahu decided to ignore pressure from his far-right ministers.

“The agreement is truly catastrophic”castigated one of them, the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir.