According to media reports, Israel made extensive concessions to the militant Palestinian organization during negotiations with Hamas. As a result, the possibility of a ceasefire of up to one year was offered.
There was talk of a first phase with a three-week ceasefire. During this period, at least twenty hostages are expected to be released in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. A second phase would include a 10-week ceasefire, during which Hamas and Israel could agree to increased hostage releases and a longer pause in fighting that could last as long as a year.
Last proposal is “last chance”
The Israeli government expects a response from Hamas on Wednesday evening to the latest offer, the Times of Israel newspaper quoted an Israeli official as saying. Israel is prepared to send a delegation to the indirect negotiations in Cairo in the coming days, the Wall Street Journal quoted Israeli and Egyptian officials as saying. The latest proposal is seen as a “last chance” in Jerusalem.
It would be conceivable that, if an agreement were reached, Israel would initially abandon the announced ground offensive in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of civilians have sought protection. “Time is of the essence, but I cannot set a deadline here,” John Kirby, communications director for the US National Security Council, said on Tuesday, urging Hamas to agree to the proposal.
Hamas has so far pushed for an end to the war
However, Hamas has so far pushed for an end to the war, which Israel rejects. The two sides are not negotiating directly, but through mediators Egypt, Qatar and the US. “Hope waxes and wanes, and we’re going to hang in there and see if we can get it done,” Kirby said of the ongoing negotiations.
Source: Krone
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