Netanyahu Faces Moment of Truth as Hamas Accepts Ceasefire Deal: Haaretz

“published newspaper”HaaretzOn Tuesday, the Israeli newspaper reported that there were “many sticking points” between Israel and Hamas over reaching an agreement that led to a ceasefire and the release of hostages in exchange on Palestinian prisoners.

On Monday night, Hamas told officials in Qatar and Egypt that it had accepted the terms of the cease-fire agreement with Israel, which is part of ongoing negotiations to ensure the release of hostages held in Gaza.

Sources in Hamas claim that they have received promises, from the United States and Qatari and Egyptian mediators, that Israel will not renew its operations in Gaza after the end of the implementation of the stages of the agreement, according to the paper- Haaretz news.

A non-Israeli source involved in the talks, whose identity was not disclosed by Haaretz, said the proposal approved by Hamas was drafted by the United States and Qatar, and is based on an Egyptian proposal to Israel has already agreed.

However, officials familiar with the details of the proposal tell Haaretz that there are many sticking points between the two sides before an agreement is reached.

According to the newspaper, one of the points of contention between the two sides is Israel’s demand that Hamas release 33 hostages alive as part of the first phase of the deal. While the first phase, according to the proposal of Hamas, includes the release of 33 hostages, “dead or alive,” without specifying the number of hostages that will be returned alive

In addition, Israel asked Hamas to release 3 hostages every 3 days, and Hamas proposed to release 3 hostages every week.

Hamas said it would release information about the guards expected to be released in the first phase of the deal, which is supposed to include 3 phases.

According to Haaretz, Hamas expressed its willingness to exchange a smaller number of Palestinian prisoners for the bodies of hostages, compared to those kidnapped who are still alive.

In this scenario, Palestinian women and children held in Israel since October 7 would be released in exchange for the hostages’ bodies, while Hamas would still want dozens of Palestinian security prisoners for all enemies still alive.

Israel does not object to that position in general, according to the newspaper, but insists that the first phase of the agreement includes the release of 33 live hosts.

Also, there are two additional points that could raise objections in Israel, the first of which is that it cannot object to any of the Palestinian prisoners expected to be released under the agreement, giving including those convicted of killing Israelis.

The second point is that the Israeli army should withdraw from the main roads in Gaza, allowing Palestinians to move freely between the north and south of Gaza.

This comes as the Israeli army announced on Tuesday that it had taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, after a night of violent bombings in the city located in the very south end of the Street.

“Doubt” about Netanyahu

The war began after an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,170 people, most of them civilians and including women and children, according to an Agence France-Presse-based census on official Israeli data.

More than 250 people were kidnapped, 129 of whom are still in custody in Gaza, and 35 of whom died, according to Israeli officials.

In response to the attack, Israel promised to “eliminate” Hamas. Since then, a devastating bombing campaign and ground operations have been carried out in the Gaza Strip, causing the death of 34,735, most of them civilians, including women and children, according to the Hamas Health Ministry.

In a related context, Doha announced that a Qatari delegation will go to Cairo on Tuesday morning to resume ongoing talks between Israel and the Hamas movement, with Qatari-Egyptian-American mediation, to reach a cease-fire agreement. to reach peace in the Gaza Strip. .

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in a statement, “A Qatari delegation will go to Cairo on Tuesday morning to start indirect talks between the two parties.”

He said Doha hopes to “reach an immediate and permanent ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, exchange prisoners and detainees, and introduce humanitarian aid in a sustainable manner into all area of ​​the Struggle.”

Al-Ansari confirmed in his statement that “Hamas sent a response to the mediators to their proposals that they submitted to Israel and the movement regarding the session, and that the response can be interpreted as a response advanced.”

On Monday afternoon, Israel’s wartime government ministers agreed to send an Israeli delegation to Cairo to discuss moving forward with the deal, but did not order a halt to military preparations for an attack. into the city of Rafah, south of Gaza.

In recent months, senior Israeli officials and foreign diplomats have expressed serious doubts whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu really intends to reach an agreement.

A foreign diplomat working in Israel, whose identity was not disclosed by Haaretz, said: “Our assessment is that Netanyahu is fighting a battle for political survival, and this is what governs his movements. “

The diplomat said: “The more Netanyahu intensifies the fight, the greater his chances of remaining prime minister,” noting that “reaching a hostilities agreement is ‘put the continuation of his rule in jeopardy, because the fight would stop because of the internal pressure agreement. for calling elections (..).