According to media reports on Monday, both Israeli and Hamas officials have said they feel that a hostage deal that would involve a temporary ceasefire in Gaza is close to being reached.
Israeli media reported that Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told Knesset members in a closed-door meeting that a deal with Hamas was “closer than ever.”
Asharq News, a Saudi news outlet, reported that an unnamed senior Hamas official also said that a deal was “closer than ever.” Al-Akhbar, a Lebanese daily newspaper, reported that there is “unprecedented readiness” on both sides to reach an agreement.
The details of the potential agreement are unclear, but the optimism comes after Hamas reportedly conceded to two major Israeli demands, agreeing that IDF troops will be able to remain in Gaza and handing over a list of hostages it will release.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the potential deal may involve a 60-day ceasefire. During that time, Hamas would release 30 Israeli hostages, including US citizens, and Israel would release Palestinian prisoners and allow more humanitarian aid to enter the Strip.
While there’s no sign Israel is considering permanently ending the genocidal war, the senior Hamas official speaking to Asharq said the Palestinian group’s proposal involved a “gradual end to the war and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces according to an agreed-upon timetable, and guarantees from international mediators.”
Another source familiar with the negotiations told Asharq that Hamas was aware President-elect Donald Trump wanted to see a deal before his inauguration.
Trump recently issued a threat to Hamas, saying there would be “all hell to pay” if the hostages weren’t released by his inauguration. The president-elect repeated the threat on Monday, saying, “As you know, I gave a warning that if these hostages aren’t back home by that date, all hell is going to break out.”
The source speaking to Asharq said, “Hamas and the resistance are ready” for a hostage deal, “but the problem lies with the occupation.”
Previous negotiations to reach a deal were purposely sabotaged by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a fact widely acknowledged by Israeli officials. In November 2023, the two sides did reach a deal, which resulted in the release of over 100 Israeli hostages in exchange for over 200 Palestinians.
