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Negotiations Underway for Release of Civilian Hostages in Gaza

Delivery time2023-11-11 16:12

NYT “Discussion regarding civilian targets among 240 hostages held in Gaza”

“Hamas refuses to release 130 to 140 Israeli soldier hostages.”

Families protest demanding the release of Hamas hostages

(Tel Aviv Reuters = Yonhap News) Families and supporters of hostages kidnapped by the Palestinian armed political faction Hamas to the Gaza Strip are holding a protest in Tel Aviv, Israel, on the 3rd (local time) calling for the immediate release of the hostages. Hamas claimed that about 60 Israeli hostages were killed in Israeli attacks over the past four weeks. 2023.11.05 [email protected]

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kwon Soo-hyun = The New York Times, an American daily newspaper, reported on the 10th (local time) that Israel is negotiating with Hamas on a plan to release all 100 civilians among the hostages taken in the Gaza Strip.

NYT, citing Israeli officials briefed on the negotiations, reported that Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas are negotiating over two proposals, one of which would release a small number of people and the other of which would release all civilian hostages.

Officials said that out of the 240 hostages held by Hamas and other armed political groups in the Gaza Strip, about 100, less than half, are civilians, and that all civilians may be released depending on the progress of negotiations.

According to one official, one of the current discussions is for Hamas to release 10 to 20 people, including Israeli women and children, American nationals and other foreigners, in exchange for a temporary cessation of fighting.

The official said that if conditions demanded by Hamas are met, about 100 additional civilians could be released.

Hamas is demanding a moratorium on fighting, additional humanitarian aid, fuel for hospitals and the release of Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israel in exchange for the release of all civilian hostages.

The official added that Israeli authorities have expressed uncertainty about the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Negotiations are being mediated by Qatar, where Hamas’s political office is located, and high-ranking U.S. officials are also participating.

The United States is pressuring Israel to call for a temporary suspension of fighting on a humanitarian level to release hostages and deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The NYT reported that David Varnia, director of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, and William Burns, director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), were in Doha, Qatar, on the 9th to negotiate the release of hostages.

However, the newspaper added that U.S. officials have not met directly with Hamas and that Qatari officials are negotiating.

Another official said that the fact that the hostages are being held by several armed groups, including Hamas, is also a factor complicating negotiations.

Hamas told Qatar that it was holding fewer than 20 civilian hostages and that the rest were being held by Islamic Jihad (PIJ) or other groups and individuals not under the Hamas chain of command.

Hamas is refusing to release Israeli soldiers among the hostages. Hamas officials told mediators that they were detaining 130 to 140 Israeli soldiers but had no plans to release them in the near future.

Israel is not disclosing details about how many civilians and soldiers are among the hostages.

The NYT added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined a request for comment on the report.

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2023/11/11 16:12 Sent

#Hostage #negotiations #vain.. #Hamas #negotiating #release #civilians #yunhap #news
2023-11-11 07:12:20

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