World
January 13, 2025 23:00
tel aviv - Hope for a hostage deal between Israel and Gaza is on the rise, but challenges remain before any agreement can be finalized.
Anxiety-inducing hours for Israel and Gaza. Nearly all indications suggest that a deal for a 42-day ceasefire with the release of 33 hostages will be presented in the short term.
High-ranking officials of the terrorist group gathered on Monday evening to review the latest proposals. Even if they agree, they will still have to convince Hamas leader in Gaza, Mohammed Sinwar, to lay down arms. Sinwar has been as uncompromising as his brother Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the massacre of October 7 that Israel accidentally managed to kill last year.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu is trying to persuade his far-right coalition partners not to bring down the government. They consider the agreement a 'catastrophe' for the country's security and are likely to vote against it. There is hope, however, that they will refrain from collapsing the cabinet, partly under pressure from Donald Trump.
A senior Israeli official presented the details of the deal to a group of journalists on Monday evening. It is expected that a final round of talks will be held on Tuesday morning to iron out any remaining issues. If successful, a ceasefire of six weeks, 42 days, will take effect very soon. During this period, 33 hostages will be released.
The hostages are men and women over 50. Israel has their names but does not yet know who is alive and who is not. It is assumed that a large majority are still alive. In exchange, Israel will release many hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, with those with blood on their hands not allowed to settle in the West Bank.
Israel does not commit to ending the war in a later stage. Negotiations on this matter will begin from day sixteen of the ceasefire. The chances of success are slim as Israel refuses to leave Gaza, although there is a possibility that Trump will pressure his ally. The Republican aims to end the war as soon as possible following the release of the hostages.
During the initial phase of the agreement, the Israeli army will withdraw to a buffer zone in Gaza but will not leave the strip. Palestinian civilians may, under certain conditions, return to their homes in the north, where heavy fighting took place in recent months.
Negotiations on an agreement have been ongoing for almost a year, on and off. All parties now agree for the first time that success is within reach. This is not only due to Trump's ultimatum, demanding a deal before his inauguration on January 20, but also to developments in the rest of the Middle East. Since the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Hamas has been almost alone in its fight against the Jewish state.
Israeli authorities have instructed hospitals and other institutions to prepare for the arrival of hostages, many of whom are likely in poor physical and mental condition. They also urge the public and media to respect the privacy of the hostages' families, who are on edge.
There is a sense of relief among the Israeli population, but no one is celebrating prematurely until a deal is truly reached and the first hostages are freed. However, there are also opponents of the deal, including the more conservative family members of the hostages. They held a demonstration in Jerusalem on Monday evening, arguing that all hostages should be released at once and viewing the current agreement as a surrender to Hamas. This view is shared by a radical but influential rabbi who is calling on his followers to protest against the imminent deal. There are also opponents within Netanyahu's Likud party. Seven parliamentarians consider it an immoral agreement that endangers the country's security.
It remains to be seen if they can halt the negotiation train. Monday evening saw discussions at the highest level on the final details. Joe Biden spoke with the Emir of Qatar, who in turn held talks in Doha with the Middle East envoys of the American president and his successor. Biden is also expected to consult with his Egyptian counterpart, Al-Sisi. Netanyahu has already announced that he will meet with some of the hostages' families on Monday.