ALBAWABA - A report by the New York Times revealed that negotiators are closing in on drafting a new deal that would lead to a two-month ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, in exchange for both parties releasing hostages.
American-led negotiators are edging closer to an agreement in which Israel would suspend its war in Gaza for about two months in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas, a deal that could be sealed in the next two weeks and would transform the conflict consuming the region, the New York Times reported.
Negotiators have created a written draft agreement that combines proposals made by Israel and Hamas over the last 10 days into a basic framework that will be the subject of talks in Paris this Sunday.
While there are still significant differences to be resolved, negotiators are cautiously optimistic that a final agreement is within reach, according to US officials who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.
On Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden had a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, to discuss the ongoing negotiation efforts their countries have been putting in the hope of reaching a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.
Following the phone call, the White House released a statement saying: "Both leaders affirmed that a hostage deal is central to establishing a prolonged humanitarian pause in the fighting and ensure additional lifesaving humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in need throughout Gaza,".
The statement said that both leaders reaffirmed "the urgency of the situation and welcomed the close cooperation among their teams to advance recent discussions".
On January 24, a report by Reuters said that Israel and Hamas have broadly agreed in principle that an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, which was later halted by Hamas.
Later in December, negotiations intensified as the length of a possible ceasefire in Gaza was narrowed down to a 30-day truce, shortly after Hamas had first proposed a pause of several months, one of the sources told Reuters.
Hamas has since refused to move forward with the plans until the future conditions of a permanent ceasefire are agreed.
Al-Aqsa Flood operation against Israel
Hamas military group announced on Oct. 7 a military operation called "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel which is the biggest offensive in decades.
Palestinian fighters “infiltrated” Israel from the Gaza Strip and captured military bases and took hostages as photos and videos went viral online showing Hamas fighters on vehicles inside Israel and others paragliding into occupation territory.
In response, Israeli armed forces announced targeting Hamas positions inside the Gaza Strip. Thousands were killed, and dozens of thousands of others were injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The latest statistics by the Ministry of Health in Gaza revealed that the death toll from Israeli brutal pounding on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has soared to 26,257 people, with more than 64,797 injuries.
Since then, approximately 85% of Gazans have been displaced, and all are experiencing severe food insecurity, while the healthcare system has collapsed. Hundreds of thousands of people lack shelter, and aid trucks are arriving at a slower rate than before the conflict began.
