Hamas has agreed to engage in discussions with the United States regarding the release of Israeli hostages, which includes soldiers and civilians. This decision comes 16 days after the initial phase of an agreement intended to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza. A senior Hamas official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that the group has abandoned its requirement for Israel to commit to a permanent ceasefire before finalizing the agreement. Instead, negotiations will focus on achieving this goal over the course of the first six weeks.
A Palestinian official involved in the internationally mediated peace efforts stated that if Israel embraces the proposal, it could result in a framework agreement and bring an end to the nine-month-old war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Meanwhile, a source within Israel's negotiating team, who requested anonymity, expressed optimism on Friday about the possibility of reaching an agreement, marking a significant shift from previous instances in the nine-month-old conflict in Gaza, when Israel deemed Hamas's conditions as unacceptable.
An Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spokesperson did not provide a comment on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, in response to a request. Talks are set to resume next week, with his office highlighting that there are still differences between the parties. The death toll of Palestinians has exceeded 38,000, as reported by Gaza health officials, following the attack by Hamas on southern Israeli cities on Oct. 7. Official Israeli data indicates that 1,200 people were killed and around 250 hostages were taken.
The latest proposal aims to have mediators oversee a temporary ceasefire, facilitate aid delivery, and oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops while indirect negotiations progress towards the second phase of the agreement, according to a source from Hamas. Efforts to broker a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages in Gaza have escalated recently, with intensive shuttle diplomacy involving Washington, Israel, and Qatar. Qatar, based in Doha where the exiled Hamas leadership resides, is taking the lead in mediation efforts.
A local source reported that the U.S. administration was making significant efforts to finalize an agreement before the presidential election in November. Netanyahu announced on Friday that the chief of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency had returned from an initial meeting with mediators in Qatar, and discussions would resume next week. Some families of hostages made a statement to the press before a weekly hostage rally in Tel Aviv, urging Netanyahu to proceed with the agreement. "We are feeling hopeful for the first time in many months," stated Einav Zangauker, the mother of Matan Zangauker, 24, who was kidnapped from his kibbutz home on Oct. 7. "This is an opportunity that we cannot afford to miss," she emphasized.