After a week of delays and flip-flopping, it appears that significant progress has been made in indirect talks between the Zionist entity and Hamas for a temporary truce and the release of some of the hostages held by the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh told Reuters on Tuesday that the Palestinian militant group was near a truce agreement with Israel, even as the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza continued and rockets were being fired into occupied territories.
Hamas officials are “close to reaching a truce agreement” with Israel and the group has delivered its response to Qatari mediators, Haniyeh said in a statement sent to Reuters by his aide.
The statement gave no more details, but a Hamas official Izzat Al-Reshiq told Al Jazeera TV that negotiations were centered on how long the truce would last, arrangements for delivery of aid into Gaza and the exchange of Israelis held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in the Zionist entity.
Both sides would free women and children and details will be announced by Qatar, which is mediating in the negotiations, said Al-Reshiq.
“Very Close” to Deal
Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 12 news cited a senior Israeli official saying “we are very close to a deal” for the release of some hostages in Gaza.
Noting that there were still “technical issues” to resolve, the official said there is an agreement that at least 50 people will be freed, while dozens more could be released in exchange for extending a ceasefire beyond the initial few days.
ICRC Meeting with Haniyeh
Earlier on Monday, Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), met Haniyeh in Qatar to “advance humanitarian issues” related to the conflict, the Geneva-based ICRC said in a statement. She also met separately with Qatari authorities.
The ICRC said it was not part of negotiations aimed at the swap deal, but as a neutral intermediary it was ready “to facilitate any future release that the parties agree to.”
Source: Agencies
