Israel War Cabinet To Meet As Gaza Cease-Fire Talks Progress
Israel’s war cabinet is expected to convene Saturday night for a briefing on efforts advancing in Paris toward a deal to pause the fighting in Gaza and return hostages held there.
(Bloomberg) -- Israel’s war cabinet is expected to convene Saturday night for a briefing on efforts advancing in Paris toward a deal to pause the fighting in Gaza and return hostages held there.
Israeli media, citing people familiar with the situation, reported that talks on Friday involving the Israeli delegation and representatives from the US, Egypt and Qatar had yielded a breakthrough.
The talks “were very good and saw real progress,” Haaretz reported, citing people it didn’t identify. The status of the talks couldn’t be independently verified.
Based on the progress seen, the parties will soon be able to present Hamas with an updated framework for a deal to exchange Israeli hostages held in Gaza with Palestinian prisoners in Israel in the near future, according to the report.
A foreign diplomat who wasn’t identified told Haaretz that “all sides are showing flexibility, and a deal could be reached even before Ramadan,” which starts on the evening of March 10.
Separately, the Saudi Asharq network reported that Hamas has softened some of its key demands around a possible hostage release deal. Hamas appears ready to accept an initial truce of six weeks instead of a permanent cease-fire, according to the network, which was cited by the Times of Israel.
Read more: Palestinian Economy Has Been Devastated by War, World Bank Says
Axios on Saturday reported a proposal that Hamas release roughly 40 hostages in exchange for a six-week cease fire and the freeing of “hundreds” of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Thousands of Hamas operatives swarmed into southern Israel on Oct. 7 in a spree of killing, raping and kidnapping — spurring Israel to launch its punishing war in Gaza, now approaching the start of its sixth month.
The rising civilian death toll and severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza have increased calls for a ceasefire in the Israeli offensive aimed at wiping out Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist group by the US and the EU.
On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented to his security cabinet his plan for how Gaza should be run after the war.
The proposal for Israel to hold open-ended control over security and civilian affairs in the enclave was quickly rejected by Palestinian leaders, the Associated Press reported.
The US has called on Netanyahu to hold off the next stage of military action in Gaza, aimed at the city of Rafah in south, until he can provide a clear plan to help civilians.
Read more: Israel to Launch Rafah Attack Unless Hostages Home in March
Desperate Gazans have sought refuge in Rafah, and many are now living in tents and on streets, facing hunger and illness. Forcing them to return to areas razed by Israel’s ground and air assaults is expected to add to a death toll that’s already exceeded 29,000 in Gaza since war erupted, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Earlier this month, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order allowing the US to impose sanctions on settlers and officials involved in violence against Palestinians.
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