Hamas official: 34 hostages could be released in first phase of deal, Rafah Crossing would reopen

An anonymous Hamas official tells the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen news outlet that there has been considerable progress in the negotiations for a phased hostage release and ceasefire deal with Israel.

According to the official, Israel’s demand during the first stage of the deal is for the release of 34 hostages on humanitarian grounds — chiefly all remaining women and children, including female IDF soldiers, and the sick and elderly.

In return, Israel will release an unconfirmed number of Palestinian security prisoners, including some serving life sentences, al Mayadeen reports.

The Hamas official alleges that during the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, Israel will allow a significantly increased flow of humanitarian aid to enter the Strip, as well as the equipment needed to repair and rebuild Gaza’s hospitals and public facilities.

The official claims that Israel has also agreed to withdraw from densely populated areas in the Strip during the first phase of the deal.

He says that while all parties have agreed to reopen the Rafah Crossing on the border with Egypt during the first phase, the issue of who will maintain control of the crossing has yet to be resolved.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that Israel has agreed to a gradual withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, and that Hamas had agreed it would not be involved in running the Rafah Crossing.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long vowed that Israeli troops would remain on the route.

The crossing has remained shuttered since May of this year when the IDF launched its offensive in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.

Source » timesofisrael.com