US negotiators have drafted a tentative agreement bringing together Israeli and Hamas demands that would see the rest of the hostages released and pause in fighting in Gaza for up to two months, The New York Times reported on Saturday.
The report said that a 30-day halt to fighting is proposed in the initial phase, allowing the release of women, elderly, and wounded hostages by Hamas. The second phase suggests a suspension of military operations for another 30 days in exchange for the release of Israeli soldiers and male civilians.
The ratio of Palestinians to be released from Israeli prisons is still under negotiation, but it is being seen as a resolvable issue. US media reports said that the deal also facilitates increased humanitarian aid to Gaza. Hamas has demanded a full ceasefire, but the NTY report said that “officials close to the talks believe that if Israel halts the war for two months, it would likely not resume it in the same way that it has waged it until now.”
Paris summit
Citing US officials, the NYT report added that the Washington-led draft will be presented at a summit in Paris on Sunday bringing together Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the US to push moribund hostage negotiations forward. US negotiators are “cautiously optimistic” about the sides reaching a deal, the report said, claiming one could be reached within two weeks.
In France, CIA director Bill Burns is expected to discuss the contours of the emerging deal when he meets with David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel for talks centered on the hostage negotiations. Burns heads to France for the high-level talks after White House senior adviser Brett McGurk traveled to the Mideast this week for talks on the hostage situation.
The White House and CIA have yet to publicly confirm the meeting in France and US officials have been guarded that a deal can easily be brokered. “We should not expect any imminent developments,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly promised to continue the offensive until complete victory over Hamas is achieved. Netanyahu has faced increasing pressure from the families of many hostages who are demanding a deal for their loved ones’ release.
The October 7 attack killed some 1,200 people in Israel, and around 250 people were abducted. Around 100 hostages were freed under a weeklong cease-fire deal in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Around 130 remain captive, but a number have since been confirmed dead. Hamas earlier said it would free more captives only in exchange for an end to the war.
(With agency inputs)
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