Israeli leaders have proposed a ceasefire of up to two months in exchange for the release of all hostages in Gaza, officials said Monday.
After heated meetings over the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the hostage situation, the Jewish country’s war cabinet approved a new plan coordinated with Qatari and Egyptian negotiators that could free the more than 130 hostages held by Hamas, they told Axios two Israeli officials close to the talks. .
The hostage agreement would first allow the release of all women and men over 60 who are in critical condition or have serious health problems.
The next phase would release hostages who are not affiliated with the Israel Defense Forces. After that, Hamas would release the Israeli soldiers, as well as the bodies of hostages who died while in captivity, the officials said.
In exchange for freeing the hostages, Israeli officials would agree to release Palestinian prisoners in their jails, with separate negotiations scheduled over who would be allowed to go free.
In previous deals brokered by Qatar, Israel agreed to release three prisoners for every hostage released.
But there are still major obstacles to sealing the agreement.
The proposed plan emphasizes that the ceasefire would only be temporary, and that the IDF would deploy away from the Gaza Strip’s largest cities to allow Palestinians to return to their homes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the weekly cabinet meeting at the Ministry of Defense 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 the hostages. in Gaza. Debbie Hill/UPI/Shutterstock
Once the exchange is completed, the war will resume, Israeli officials said.
Hamas has previously said that the hostages would not be released until the war is completely over and the IDF leaves the Palestinian enclave.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement over the weekend, reiterating that Israel would not end the war in Gaza in exchange for the release of the hostages.
The terrorist leader said that “means that there is no possibility of the return of the [Israeli] captives.”
The hostage agreement would first allow the release of all women and men over 60 who are in critical condition or have serious health problems. REUTERS Israeli officials would agree to release Palestinian prisoners in their jails, and separate negotiations would be scheduled over who would be allowed to go free. REUTERS Relatives of the Argentine-Israeli child Kfir Bibas gather a day before her first birthday in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on January 17, 2024 AP / Gustavo Garello
The new proposal also rejects the possibility of releasing all Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages, a condition that Hamas leaders have said would be critical to accepting any deal.
Khaled Mashal, a key figure who helped run the terrorist organization from Qatar, has done nothing but cast doubt on any hope for peace.
The senior Hamas official said earlier this month in a newly surfaced video that Hamas’ goal remains to eliminate Israel, saying the Oct. 7 massacre was only the first step and that the war will only end when the terrorist group I win.
“Is not something [merely] be expected or expected. It is part of the plan, part of the agenda, and we are at its doorstep, Allah willing,” Mashal told Kuwaiti podcaster Amar Taki.
The latest plan proposed by Israel would amount to the longest ceasefire in the war since the 10-day truce in November.
The temporary pact in November allowed the release of more than 100 hostages, but negotiations have since continued to fail, to the anger of the captives’ families.
Israel estimates that around 132 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom 27 are believed dead.
Netanyahu assured the families of those still captive on Monday that the latest proposal has been sent and was initiated by Israel and not Hamas, according to local Channel 12.
He has been facing harsh criticism and increasing pressure from families to advance a deal, as his loved ones have been in Gaza for more than three months.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn