40 hostages for 6-week ceasefire: Phase one of Hamas deal sparks negotiations
At the Paris summit held on Sunday, a consensus was reached on a three-phase plan, intended for presentation to Hamas. Under this plan, in its first phase, 35-40 Israeli hostages, including women, elderly men above 60, and those in critical medical condition, will be released. In return, a six-week ceasefire will be implemented, along with the release of Palestinian prisoners. This information is attributed to senior Israeli and Qatari officials. The war cabinet is set to deliberate on the specifics of this framework on Monday evening.
The plan, as presented, elaborated only on the initial phase, while the subsequent two phases are broadly outlined. The strategy is to engage in separate negotiations on these during the ceasefire’s sixth week. “The aim is to commence phase A with indications about phases B and C, without finalizing their details,” a senior Israeli official stated.
In the deal’s second phase, male soldiers and civilians under 60 will be released. The third stage involves the transfer of bodies of captives currently held by Hamas. Each phase will define a distinct ratio of Palestinian prisoners released per Israeli captive. The ceasefire duration for the second and third stages is not yet determined and will be finalized in the negotiations. However, Israeli officials anticipate an extended period of ceasefire.
A senior Qatari and a senior Israeli official informed Walla that a meeting in Cairo with Hamas leaders is scheduled in the upcoming days to discuss this revised plan. “The real challenge for Qatar now is to persuade Hamas to agree and commence detailed discussions,” remarked a senior Israeli official.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, recently expressed at a Washington event at the Atlantic Council: “There’s been significant progress in the negotiations. We’re in a better position than we were a few weeks ago. We’re hopeful that this agreement will lead to the hostages’ release and halt the bombings in Gaza, as well as the civilian casualties.”
He further noted, “There was a development yesterday [on Sunday] towards establishing a foundation for ongoing negotiations. We will forward the proposal to Hamas, hoping for their agreement to negotiate constructively.”
Al-Thani emphasized, “Punishing Gaza’s entire population for the actions of a few is unjustifiable. If this deal doesn’t lead to a breakthrough, alternative methods must be explored. We’re mediators, not conflict parties. The agreed framework is based on the stances of both Israel and Hamas, and we’re striving for consensus.”
The Qatari PM also responded to criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “I choose not to react to such statements. We don’t expect Netanyahu’s gratitude. We believe our role is significant, demonstrating that we yield tangible results rather than merely talking or using this for political gains.”
Source » jpost.com
