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Fighting and bombings killed dozens of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Monday. This came as the White House announced that an agreement on a truce between Israel and Hamas could be reached as early as this week.
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January 13, 2025 – 10:31 p.m.
(Keystone-ATS) US President Joe Biden, who is handing over to Donald Trump in a week, affirmed that a truce agreement associated with a release of hostages was “on the verge of being concluded”, based on an American proposal presented there several months ago.
“Significant progress on the last blocking points” has been made towards an agreement, a source close to the negotiations told AFP.
While indirect negotiations led under the aegis of Qatar, the United States and Egypt intensify, Israel increases attacks on the Gaza Strip.
More than 50 dead in Gaza City
On Monday, the Israeli army bombarded the city of Gaza, in the north of the territory, throughout the day, killing more than 50 people according to emergency services.
“Schools, homes and even gatherings” were targeted, Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal told AFP.
The army said it was investigating the reports. “There is no room in hospitals to accommodate the injured,” added Mahmoud Bassal.
The army announced that it had lost five soldiers in combat in the north of the territory, where it has been leading a ground offensive since October 6, claiming to want to prevent Hamas fighters from regrouping there.
“At your fingertips”
After 15 months of war, negotiations aimed at freeing the 94 hostages still held in Gaza, 34 of whom have died according to the army, and concluding a truce agreement, have intensified in recent days.
A single one-week truce was concluded at the end of November 2023, and allowed the release of around a hundred hostages. A total of 251 people were kidnapped during the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the current war.
-On Monday, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, met with envoys from Joe Biden and Donald Trump, as well as a delegation from Hamas to discuss a truce agreement.
The White House also said Biden spoke with Sheikh Tamim. “We are close to an agreement and we can get there this week,” said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. “I’m not making any promises or predictions, but it’s within reach,” he added.
Currently being finalized
A senior Palestinian official close to Hamas as well as Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also reported progress.
“Israel is serious about releasing the hostages and is working hard to reach an agreement. Negotiations are progressing,” Mr. Saar said.
“The current round of negotiations is the most serious and in-depth and has made it possible to achieve significant progress,” the Palestinian official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
He said the draft agreement was being finalized to establish details of the number of hostages that would be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners incarcerated by Israel. The discussions also include the question of humanitarian aid to Gaza, he added.
Smotrich opposed to an agreement
Far-right Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich, on the other hand, firmly opposed on Monday any agreement that would end the war.
He said he would not support a “surrender deal that would include the release of hyper-terrorists, an end to the war, and the loss of what was gained at the cost of much bloodshed and death.” ‘abandonment of a large number of hostages’.
According to Israeli commentators, an agreement is now within reach, in particular because of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to ignore pressure from his far-right ministers, reinforced in early November by the rallying of the center-right party. right by Gideon Saar.
Trump promises ‘hell’
Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20, recently promised “hell” for the region if the hostages were not released before his return to power.
At least 46,584 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Israeli military campaign of retaliation in Gaza, according to data from the Hamas government’s Ministry of Health, deemed reliable by the UN.
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