Israel has reportedly agreed to a framework for a new ceasefire deal with Hamas that would cease hostilities for six weeks in exchange for the release of up to 40 hostages.
An Israeli delegation led by Ronen Bar and David Barnea, the country’s two intelligence chiefs, returned on Saturday from negotiations in Paris with the US, Egypt and Qatar, boosting hopes within Israel for a deal.
According to local media reports, women, children, the elderly and hostages in dire need of medical help will be released in the new agreements.
Axios news website reported that hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be released, some of whom have been convicted of killing Israelis, and that a limited number of Palestinians will be allowed to return to northern Gaza, while humanitarian aid will be significantly increased.
An Israeli official claimed that Hamas had “dropped some of its demands” following pressure by Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, but that the two sides were “still far from a deal”.
Mr Netanyahu issued a statement after the delegation finished its negotiations in Paris, saying: “We are working to reach another framework for the release of our hostages, as well as the completion of the elimination of the Hamas battalions in Rafah. That is why I sent a delegation to Paris and tonight we will discuss the next steps in the negotiations.”
The war cabinet discussed the Paris outline late Saturday evening and decided to send another delegation to Qatar to continue negotiating the final details in the coming week, according to Israeli media.
Miki Zohar, the Israeli minister of culture, told The Telegraph that the Israeli army is “ready to start the war at Rafah. The terror organisation Hamas needs to decide if it agrees to a deal to release hostages before we enter there”.
Tzachi Hanegbi, the national security advisor, told Israeli Channel 12 on Saturday that a deal with Hamas must include a return of all hostages, and that the temporary ceasefire could “under no condition be interpreted as an end to the war”.
Israeli official claims Hamas had ‘dropped some of its demands’ following pressure by Benjamin Netanyahu (centre), the prime minister
Israeli official claims Hamas had ‘dropped some of its demands’ following pressure by Benjamin Netanyahu (centre), the prime minister – KOBI GIDEON/SHUTTERSTOCK
The Israeli army continued to strike both southern, central and northern Gaza over the weekend, with dozens of Palestinians killed, according to local media. Israel also announced it had arrested over 200 “terror suspects” at the Nasser hospital in southern Gaza in the past week.
Hamas is yet to officially comment on the details of the proposal, but has previously stated that any ceasefire with Israel must be long-term and include a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Mr Netanyahu dismissed Hamas’ demands earlier this month, calling them “delusional” while pulling the Israeli delegation from negotiations in Cairo.
134 hostages remain in Gaza, with some 50 presumed dead, according to a New York Times report. Released hostages from the November ceasefire have testified that some of the women still held captive in Gaza are being sexually assaulted.
Thousands of Israelis demonstrated across Israel on Saturday evening in protest of the government’s handling of the hostage crisis. 21 people were arrested and several injured in Tel Aviv, where police used water cannons and mounted police officers to disperse demonstrations.
Families of hostages have long accused the government of abandoning their loved ones by refusing to compromise on its terms for a deal, while calling on Mr Netanyahu to resign.
Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, caused an uproar earlier this week when he told Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster, that returning the hostages from Gaza “isn’t the most important thing” for Israel and that a deal shouldn’t be made “at any price”.
LINK: https://uk.yahoo.com/news/six-week-ceasefire-deal-release-130010783.html
