Israeli leaders have proposed a ceasefire of up to two months in exchange for the release of all hostages in Gaza, officials said today.
After heated meetings over the Israel-Hamas conflict and the hostage situation, the Jewish state’s war cabinet approved a new plan coordinated with Qatari and Egyptian negotiators that could see more than 130 hostages held by Hamas released, two Israeli officials close to the negotiations told Axios.
The ransom deal will see all women and men over the age of 60 and who are in critical condition or suffering from serious health problems be released first.
The next phase will release hostages who are not affiliated with the Israel Defense Forces. After that, Hamas will release Israeli soldiers, as well as the bodies of hostages who died while in custody, the official said.
In exchange for freeing the hostages, Israeli officials will agree to release Palestinian prisoners in its prisons, with separate negotiations scheduled over who will be allowed to walk free.
In a previous deal brokered by Qatar, Israel agreed to release three prisoners for every hostage released.
But major hurdles remain to closing the deal.
The proposed plan emphasizes that the ceasefire is only temporary, with the IDF set to be deployed away from the largest cities in the Gaza Strip to allow Palestinians to return to their homes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the weekly cabinet meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel January 7, 2024. REUTERS Israeli leaders have proposed a ceasefire of up to two months in exchange for the release of all hostages in Gaza. Debbie Hill/UPI/Shutterstock
Once the exchange is complete, the war will resume, Israeli officials said.
Hamas has previously said the hostages will not be released until the war ends completely and the IDF withdraws from Palestinian territories.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement over the weekend that reiterated that Israel would not end the war in Gaza in exchange for the release of the hostages.
The terrorist leader said that “it means there is no chance of his return [Israeli] prisoner.”
The ransom deal will see all women and men over the age of 60 and who are in critical condition or suffering from serious health problems be released first. REUTERS Israeli officials will agree to release Palestinian prisoners in its prisons, with separate talks scheduled over who will be allowed to walk free. REUTERS Relatives of Argentine-Israeli baby Kfir Bibas gather a day before his first birthday in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on January 17, 2024 AP/Gustavo Garello
The new proposal also rules out the possibility of freeing all Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages, a condition Hamas leaders say is essential to accepting any deal.
Khaled Mashal – a key figure who helped run the terrorist organization from Qatar – only cast doubt on any hope for peace.
A senior Hamas official said earlier this month in a newly emerged video that Hamas’ goal remains to wipe out Israel — saying the Oct. 7 massacre was just the first step and that the war will only end when the terror group wins.
“It’s not something [merely] expected or expected. It is part of the plan, part of the agenda, and we are standing on the threshold, God willing,” Mashal told Kuwaiti podcaster Amar Taki.
Israel’s latest proposed plan would be the longest truce of the war since a 10-day truce in November.
A November interim deal saw more than 100 hostages freed, but since then, talks have continued to fail, angering the captives’ families.
Israel estimates about 132 hostages remain in Gaza, 27 of whom are believed to be dead.
Netanyahu on Monday assured the families of those still held captive that the latest proposal had been sent and that it was initiated by Israel and not Hamas, according to the local Channel 12.
He has faced harsh criticism and mounting pressure from families to push the deal forward as their loved ones have now been in Gaza for more than three months.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
