Israel, the US, and Hamas reached a tentative agreement to release dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a five-day cease-fire, The Washington Post claimed on Saturday, citing sources.
During the 7 October attacks, Hamas took roughly 240 people hostage, killing 1,200 Israelis. Recent reports suggest that Qatar, as the mediating party in the deal, claims an agreement is within reach.
US-Brokered Hostage Deal
According to the Washington Post, a detailed six-page set of written rules would obligate all sides of the war to stop military activities for at least five days, while “an initial batch of 50 or more hostages are released in smaller batches every 24 hours.”
“Overhead surveillance would monitor movement on the ground to police the pause,” the newspaper reported.
The temporary truce also aims to allow a considerable flow of humanitarian aid, including fuel, to reach the besieged enclave from Egypt.
“We’ve made some progress recently and have been working hard to advance this, but it remains a volatile situation,” sources revealed.
The proposal of a deal was put together over weeks of discussions in Doha, Qatar, between Israel, the US, and Hamas, who were represented indirectly by Qatari mediators, as reported by Arab and foreign diplomats.
US, Israel and Hamas are said to be close to an deal that would free dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza, the Washington Post reported https://t.co/Ccj7U5eOL2
— Bloomberg (@business) November 19, 2023
Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the US National Security Council, tweeted that there is “no deal yet, but we continue to work hard to get a deal.”
Late Saturday, an Israeli Embassy official in Washington stated, “we are not going to comment” on any aspect of the hostage situation.
Tzachi Hanegbi, the head of Israel’s National Security Council, told reporters on Friday that the war cabinet had unanimously agreed to a limited cease-fire only after “a massive release of our hostages... and it will be limited and short, because after that we will continue to work towards achieving our war goals.”
Hostage Deal Negotiations by Qatar
Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has stated that only “minor” challenges remain to release more than 200 people.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed, a former foreign minister (FM), provided few details: “The challenges that remain in the negotiations are very minor compared to the bigger challenges. They are more logistical; they are more practical,” he said during a press conference.
Additionally, the former Qatari FM stated on Sunday that speculations of a possible agreement were “counterproductive” and the negotiation process had ups and downs. “I think that I’m now more confident that we are close enough to reach a deal that can bring the people safely back to their homes,” he asserted.
PM Netanyahu’s Decision to Continue Offensive
Nonetheless, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the offensive will continue, even as he justified his decision last week to allow the first consistent fuel deliveries into Gaza since the conflict began.
“For international support to continue, humanitarian aid is essential,” Netanyahu said. “Because of that, we accepted the recommendation to bring fuel into Gaza.”
Netanyahu’s remarks come after hundreds of hostage family members and supporters concluded a five-day march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to urge government action, with many stating that the lives of innocent Israelis were worth any short-term compromise the government had to make to secure their release.