Hamas accepted the draft ceasefire agreement in Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages: this was stated by two Israeli officials involved in the talks, quoted byAssociated Press and reported by the Israeli media.
The path that led to this development was long and full of tension. After months of secret negotiations and meetings in the corridors of international power, a potentially historic turning point has been reached. The American president Joe Biden he had anticipated that the deal was “on the verge of being closed”, referring to a proposal he made months ago.
The dynamics of the last few days have seen “significant progress on the remaining critical points” during the negotiations in Qatar. A night considered crucial in Doha apparently led to a thaw between the parties. The intervention of key figures, such as the envoy of the then president-elect Donald Trump, Steve WitkoffQatari Prime Minister al Thani and Mossad director David Barnea, appears to have been instrumental.
Threats of consequences in case of no agreement weighed on the situation, pushing Hamas And Israel to seriously consider the proposed draft. Channel 12 reported that the draft agreement was received by Israel overnight and was deemed “broadly acceptable.” The ball then passed into the hands of the de facto leader of Hamas, Muhammed Sinwarbrother of the leader Yahya killed by the IDF. Apparently the draft was accepted.
At the same time, it became known that Joe Biden held a telephone discussion with the Emir of Qatar, emphasizing “the urgent need for an agreement”. Doha received the US envoys and subsequently the delegation of Hamaswhile Turkey applied pressure through the intelligence chief to discuss negotiation progress.
As for the details of the agreementthere is talk of a three-phase strategy: initially Hamas would release the “humanitarian cases”, to be precise 33 hostages, while Israel would free around a thousand Palestinian prisoners. According to theAssociated PressIsrael will also release 50 Palestinian prisoners for each of the 5 female soldiers hostage in Gaza. There would also be a cease-fire of 42 days, with discussions on the second part of the agreement starting from the sixteenth day. However, it is not yet clear how the possible withdrawal of Israeli soldiers will take place, given that there has not yet been talk of a definitive cessation of hostilities but only of a truce.
They remain to be clarified some crucial pointssuch as Israel’s presence in Gaza during and after the ceasefire, and some conditions imposed by both sides. For example, Israel does not intend to exchange prominent figures of the Palestinian movement and Hamas would like to get Yahya Sinwar’s body back.
Israeli far-right parties are against the agreement. The head of Otzma Yehudit, the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvirinvited the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich to oppose what they consider a “surrender” to Hamas. “Otzma Yehudit alone does not have the ability to prevent the agreement. I propose that we go together to the prime minister and inform him that if he approves the agreement we will resign from the government,” Ben Gvir said. “I would like to underline that even if we were in the opposition, we would not bring down the prime minister, but this cooperation is the our only way to prevent the surrender agreement and ensure that the deaths of hundreds of soldiers were not in vain.”
Tonight Antony Blinken will present a detailed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza after the war. Also on the table is who will govern it.
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