A senior Hamas official informed Reuters on Saturday that the revised agreement proposal with Israel includes the initiation of discussions for the release of Israeli prisoners, both soldiers and civilians, within 16 days following the initial phase of the agreement.
The official further mentioned that the prisoner-swap agreement deal is expected to be finalized before the conclusion of the fifth week of the second stage.
Additionally, the official emphasized that the revised proposed agreement outlines a temporary ceasefire, the delivery of aid, and the supervision of the mediators to ensure these conditions are met, along with the withdrawal of Israeli forces as long as indirect negotiations progress for the implementation of the second phase.
This development followed the announcement by the White House and the CIA’s efforts to mediate a compromise between Israel and Hamas, as reported by Axios.
On Friday, Jihad Taha, a senior Hamas spokesperson, said the movement’s proposal was welcomed by mediators, and added that the official Israeli response remains unclear.
US officials disclosed that an American delegation was present in Doha on Friday to engage in the mediated talks, expressing hope that the recent positive indirect interactions with Hamas leaders could lead to an agreement for the release of Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, and the establishment of sustainable calm in the region.
Israel remains unwilling to discuss the release of senior Palestinian detainees, including political leaders, and imprisoned Palestinian fighters.
Hamas is also demanding Israel to release all imprisoned children and women, and the ailing detainees.
The recent developments came after the Hamas delegation in Qatar said, Wednesday, that it presented new ideas to the Qatari, Egyptian, and Turkish mediators, on the ways to reach a ceasefire deal, and an exchange of prisoners, to bring an end to the deadly nine-month long, and still ongoing, war on Gaza.
It is worth mentioning that, earlier this week, a delegation from Tel Aviv went to Qatar to discuss the proposal presented by Hamas.
Al-Jazeera English said the office of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that the Israeli negotiators headed by spy chief, David Barnea, met mediators in Doha, on Friday,
Al-Jazeera added that the talks are planned to resume next week, according to Netanyahu’s office, when another negotiation team will be sent to Qatar, despite the gaps between the stances of Hamas and Tel Aviv.
It also quoted an American official stating, Thursday, that while the details of Hamas’s proposal “were not immediately clear,” the proposal presents “a substantial shift” in the movement’s previous stance.
On Saturday, Day 274 of the ongoing genocide of the Palestinians in the destroyed, besieged, and devastated Gaza Strip, the Israeli army fired dozens of missiles and shells at various parts of the coastal enclave, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians, including many children and women.
Israel has now killed at least 38.011 Palestinians, including at least 15.919 children and 10.519 women, and injured more than 87.445, mostly children, women, and elderly, in addition to the thousands (approximately 10.000) who remain missing, largely buried under the rubble of bombarded homes and buildings, on streets and destroyed alleys, across the coastal enclave, since October 7, 2023.
