For months, negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages have not made any progress. The Americans say what they believe is the problem.
According to the US government, an agreement between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and hostage release is 90 percent complete. “The deal has a total of 18 paragraphs. 14 of these paragraphs are ready,” said a high-ranking US government official. 90 percent of the agreement has been agreed. However, there are still problems with the conditions for an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and with questions surrounding the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
The plan is for several hundred Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for those Israeli hostages still in Hamas’ hands, said the US government official. “For each hostage, a certain number of Palestinian prisoners will be released.” Among them are “significant” prisoners who have been sentenced to life imprisonment. He stressed that the fact that six hostages were killed a few days ago has made negotiations extremely difficult. There are now fewer hostages to exchange. “This is tragic and terrible.” Hamas is also threatening to execute more hostages.
The US government official said that in a first phase, all women, all injured people and all men over the age of 50 would be released. A regulation for the safe exit of wounded Hamas fighters from the Gaza Strip is also planned.
In the attack on Israel last October, terrorists from Hamas and other extremist Palestinian organizations killed more than 1,200 people and took about 250 others hostage in the Gaza Strip. Israel responded with air strikes and a ground offensive in Gaza. According to Israeli figures, 101 people are still in Hamas’ hands. How many of them are still alive is unclear.
Indirect negotiations have been going on for months between Israel and Hamas, with Qatar and Egypt mediating alongside the USA, in order to achieve a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. However, the talks are not making any progress.
Following the death of the six other hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under increased pressure. However, he does not want to deviate from his government’s strategic interests and insists on controlling the so-called Philadelphia Corridor, a 14-kilometer-long strip on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. However, both Hamas and Egypt are demanding that Israel withdraw its troops.
The US government representative stressed that the agreement does not explicitly mention the Philadelphia Corridor. However, it does provide for the withdrawal of the Israeli military from all densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip, and there was a dispute over whether the Philadelphia Corridor was part of this. “Due to this difference of opinion, the Israelis have made a proposal in recent weeks that would significantly reduce their presence in this corridor,” he stressed. A complete withdrawal of Israeli forces is only planned in the second phase of the deal.
