CairoHamas has given the green light to the agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, after 15 months of war that has left more than 46,700 dead in the Palestinian enclave. The Palestinian organization has given its positive response to the mediators in Doha, as reported in a statement after the emergency meeting of its political leadership, reports the Efe agency. Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is scheduled to hold a press conference from Doha this Wednesday evening to announce the agreement.
Reports of an imminent deal gained momentum on Monday after “significant” progress was made during weekend talks in Doha, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, which yesterday said the understanding was closer than ever. The agreement provides for the release of the Israeli hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023 in exchange for the release of a thousand Palestinian prisoners locked up in Israeli prisons.
The Israeli government is expected to convene a security cabinet meeting to vote on the deal in the next few hours, according to a statement from the foreign ministry, which said the minister, Gideon Saar, would cut short his tour of Europe. “Following progress in negotiations for the release of the hostages, Minister Sa’ar has interrupted his diplomatic visit, which was scheduled to continue tomorrow in Hungary,” the statement said.
Agreement in three phases
According to the drafts leaked to the press before the official announcement – which must now be confirmed – the agreement is divided into three phases. During the first, which would last 42 days, Hamas would gradually release 33 hostages considered vulnerable, including children, women and men over 50 or wounded and sick, most of whom are believed to be still alive. In return, Israel would commit to a ceasefire, release about 30 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli hostage, and allow from day one a substantial increase in humanitarian aid entering Gaza, including fuel shipments.
The versions of the agreement that have been published contemplate other important concessions by Israel in the first phase. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears ready to agree to the army’s withdrawal from two corridors in central and southern Gaza to a buffer zone near the border with Israel, where it would remain until it completes the entire deal.
According to various reports, the announcement has been delayed precisely to finalize the details regarding the withdrawal of the troops and their presence in the Philadelphi corridor. Hamas demanded from Israel the maps and the deadlines for the withdrawal of troops from the Strip, as it denounced that Tel-Aviv had made an approach that was too ambiguous. Israel would also allow the return of Palestinians to the north of the Strip, although it is not clear under what conditions or where, because the far north has been completely devastated. The part of the agreement relating to the withdrawal of the southern corridor, on the border with Egypt, has been negotiated in Cairo in parallel with the rest.
Efforts to polish the details of the first phase of the deal accelerated over the weekend, after a time when negotiations appeared as stalled as they have been in recent months. Since Saturday, however, the talks have risen to the highest level, and to a greater or lesser extent Netanyahu and the chief negotiator of Hamas, Khalil Al Haya, have been involved, as well as the heads of state of the United States, Qatar and Egypt and an envoy of Donald Trump.
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Source: www.ara.cat
