According to media reports, the US wants to make indirect ceasefire negotiations a success with a new compromise proposal. CIA Director Williams Burns presented a proposal in Cairo on Sunday evening. With the mediation of Egypt and Qatar, negotiations are underway for the possible release of more hostages – and the age, gender and condition of each is being negotiated.
As the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday (local time), citing Arab mediators, Burns’ proposal calls for Hamas to release 40 of more than 100 hostages held in the Gaza Strip as part of a ceasefire firing of six weeks.
This is to be done in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners, including 100 sentenced to life in prison for murdering Israelis. The news portal Axios also reported on Burns’ new proposal, which Israeli officials say builds on terms discussed in previous negotiations. The new proposal requires compromises from both sides of the conflict.
Both sides must make concessions
According to the Wall Street Journal, Egyptian and Qatari mediators expect Hamas and Israel to respond to the new proposal on Tuesday evening. Accordingly, Hamas would have to make concessions regarding the number and identity of hostages to be released. Israel, in turn, would have to compromise on the return of displaced Palestinian civilians to the northern Gaza Strip, Axios reported. A central issue concerns Israel’s demand that Hamas release 40 of the 100 likely remaining hostages, even if some of them do not meet the original criteria for release on humanitarian grounds, the news portal reported.
Hamas recently rejected the proposal
The first phase of an agreement would therefore provide for the release of women, soldiers, men over the age of 50 and men under the age of 50 with serious medical problems. During recent negotiations, a Hamas representative said they rejected the ceasefire proposal because they did not have forty living hostages from these categories. Senior Israeli officials believed this to be true. Israel has therefore proposed closing the gap with soldiers or men under the age of 50 being held hostage. In return, Israel would release a larger number of Palestinian prisoners for each of these hostages, officials said.
Israel also made clear that it would compromise on the issue of returning civilians to the northern Gaza Strip if Hamas agreed to this aspect of the deal, it said. The US proposal envisions Israel’s gradual and near-complete withdrawal from the corridor that divides the coastal region and prevents displaced Palestinians from returning north.
Combatants are not allowed to mingle with civilians
Israel wants to prevent Hamas fighters from mixing with civilians upon their return. However, it is not clear whether Hamas will accept the compromise and be willing to release hostages who are soldiers or men under the age of 50, they said. Hamas sees the latter as a means of pressure to enforce a permanent ceasefire.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
