Hamas has agreed to release nine hostages held in Gaza captivity, while pressure is being exerted on the terror group to release additional hostages, according to Arab media reports on Monday.
However, Palestinian and Egyptian sources told Reuters that the latest round of ceasefire and hostage deal talks in Cairo ended with no apparent breakthrough.
The sources said Hamas had stuck to its position that any agreement must lead to an end to the war in Gaza.
Israel has said it will not end the war until Hamas is stamped out. The terrorist group has ruled out any proposal that it lay down its arms.
But despite that fundamental disagreement, the sources said a Hamas delegation led by the group’s Gaza Chief Khalil Al-Hayya had shown some flexibility over how many hostages it could free in return for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel should a truce be extended.
Ten hostages could be freed
An Egyptian source told Reuters the latest proposal to extend the truce would see Hamas free an increased number of hostages. Israeli minister Zeev Elkin, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, told Army Radio on Monday that Israel was seeking the release of around 10 hostages, raised from previous Hamas consent to free five.
Hamas has asked for more time to respond to the latest proposal, the Egyptian source said.
“Hamas has no problem, but it wants guarantees Israel agrees to begin the talks on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement,” leading to an end to the war, the Egyptian source said.
Some 33 Israeli hostages were freed from Hamas captivity in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees during the six-week first phase of the ceasefire, which began in January. But the second phase, which was meant to begin at the start of March and lead to the end of the war, was never launched.
Egypt’s Sisi meets with Qatari Emir
The leaders of the two Arab countries that have led the ceasefire mediation efforts, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, met in Doha on Sunday. The Egyptian source said Sisi had called for additional international guarantees for a truce agreement, beyond those provided by Egypt and Qatar themselves.
US President Donald Trump, who has backed Israel’s decision to resume its campaign and called for the Palestinian population of Gaza to leave the territory, said last week that progress was being made in returning the hostages.
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
Jesus Christ is King
Comments are closed.