A ceasefire deal would end the fighting that began with Hamas's attack on Israel in 2023
Negotiators are very near to concluding a ceasefire deal, which would see Hamas turn over 33 Israeli hostages in the final week of the Biden administration before next Monday, in the latest signal that an agreement could be near. Israeli government believe that Hamas and its allies still hold 94 hostages taken from Israel during the October 7, 2023 attack, at least 34 of whom are dead.
The deal with Hamas would release 33 hostages, some of whom may not be alive, during the initial 42-day ceasefire, Bloomberg reported quoting senior Israeli officials.
Truce Deal In Final Stage
US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday said he believed a ceasefire deal could be concluded before his inauguration next Monday. "We are very close to getting it done," he said in an interview with Newsmax.
"They will get it done," he went on to predict. "I understand there's been a handshake and they're getting it finished, maybe by the end of the week."
Hours before Trump's remarks, President Joe Biden said both sides were "on the brink of a proposal" during an address at the US State Department.
Similar claims were made by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who said on Monday that there was a "distinct possibility" for a deal as the "pressure is building for Hamas to come to yes."
"It's there for the taking so the question is now can we all collectively seize the moment and make this happen," Sullivan said in an interview at Bloomberg about the prospects for a deal.
He noted that the Biden administration's Middle East envoy, Brett McGurk, had been in the Middle East for more than a week working out the details of an agreement. He said he has spoken with Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani as well as Israeli officials and "there is a general sense that this is moving in the right direction."
Incoming US President Trump had demanded a truce deal between Israel and Hamas before he took office on January 20, and the Biden administration has been trying to work closely with his team on the issue. Sullivan suggested that Trump's demand hasn't hurt the talks. "The pressure building here toward the end of President Biden's term has been considerable...That will help contribute to a positive outcome if we can generate that final yes from both sides," he said.
However, The US National Security Advisor said would not make any promises to get a deal that would end the fighting that began with Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. "We've been here before, we've been close before and haven't gotten across the finish line," Sullivan said.
A senior Israeli official also told CNN that the parties appear to be on the verge of an agreement and that Israel is prepared to immediately implement the deal once it has been inked.
Terms Of The Deal
Israel believes the bodies of dead hostages will also likely be among 33 people released during the first phase of the deal.
Quoting q diplomat close to the negotiations, CNN reported that a final round of talks to finalize any issues was scheduled to take place in Doha on Tuesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited some of the hostages' families to meet him on the same day, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
The release of hostages would be the first phase of the deal and negotiations for the second phase would begin on the 16th day of the implementation of the deal, which is intended to end the war.
Per the CNN report, under the current truce deal proposal, during the first phase, Israeli forces will remain stationed along the Philadelphi Corridor - a narrow strip of land along the Egypt-Gaza border. The presence of Israeli troops along the corridor was one of the reasons why a potential deal could not be finalised in September.
Israel would also maintain a buffer zone inside Gaza along the border with Israel. The width of the buffer zone is not clear yet, according to the CNN report, Hamas want the buffer zone to return to the pre-October 7 sizes of 300-500 meters (330-545 yards) from the borderline, while Israel was requesting 2,000 meters.
Moreover, residents of northern Gaza could return freely to the north of the strip, but unspecified "security arrangements" would reportedly remain in place.According to Israeli officials, Palestinian prisoners captured by Israel, who are deemed responsible for killing Israelis, would not be released into the West Bank, but rather to the Gaza Strip or abroad following agreements with foreign countries.
Increased Aid To Gaza
There would be a significant increase of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, where international bodies including the United Nations warn that the population is facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
Israel allows aid into the enclave but there have been disputes over the amount allowed in as well as the amount that reaches people in need, with looting by criminal gangs an increasing problem.
