In the war in the Middle East, negotiations are underway for the release of a dozen hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and a two- to three-day ceasefire. This involves the “release of ten to fifteen hostages” in exchange for a humanitarian pause in the fighting of 48 to 72 hours.
The Israeli newspaper ‘Yediot Ahronot’ reported on Thursday about a possible deal brokered by Qatar and involving CIA chief William Burns.
There was talk of releasing 50 to 60 hostages, mostly elderly women, children and mothers. According to Israeli representatives, this is “far from complete.”
“No ceasefire without release”
On Wednesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again mentioned the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip as a condition for a ceasefire.
“I want to put aside all kinds of false rumors that we hear from all possible directions and make one thing clear: there will be no ceasefire without the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu said. Everything else is wrong. However, it was unclear whether he meant the release of all 239 Hamas hostages at once.
Israel is therefore pushing for clear agreements to ensure it is not pressured into a long-term ceasefire, which could be seen as a victory for Hamas. According to media reports, Israel fears that the beleaguered Hamas could regroup during a prolonged ceasefire.
Source: Krone
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