Hamas Accepts Draft Settlement For Gaza Ceasefire And Launch Of Hostages, Officers Say

CAIRO (AP) — Hamas has accepted a draft settlement for a ceasefire within the Gaza Strip and the discharge of dozens of hostages, two officers concerned within the talks stated Tuesday. Mediator Qatar stated the negotiations had been on the “closest point” but to sealing a deal.

The Related Press obtained a duplicate of the proposed settlement, and an Egyptian official and a Hamas official confirmed its authenticity. An Israeli official stated progress has been made, however the particulars are being finalized. The plan would must be submitted to the Israeli Cupboard for last approval.

All three officers spoke on situation of anonymity to debate the closed-door talks.

The US, Egypt and Qatar have spent the previous 12 months attempting to mediate an finish the 15-month conflict and safe the discharge dozens of hostages captured in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault that triggered it. Some 100 Israelis are nonetheless captive inside Gaza, and the army believes not less than a 3rd them are lifeless.

Officers have expressed mounting optimism that they’ll conclude an settlement forward of the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, whose Mideast envoy has joined the negotiations.

Qatari International Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari stated at a weekly briefing Tuesday that the continuing negotiations are optimistic and productive, whereas declining to get into the main points of the delicate talks.

“Today, we are at the closest point ever to having a deal,” he stated.

Hamas, in the meantime, stated in a press release that the continuing negotiations had reached their “final stage.”

The offensive has decreased giant areas of the territory to rubble and displaced round 90% of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.3 million, with a whole lot of 1000’s packed into tent camps alongside the coast the place starvation is widespread.

Israeli strikes throughout Gaza in a single day and into Tuesday killed not less than 18 Palestinians, together with two ladies and 4 kids, whereas Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired two missiles at Israel, setting off sirens and sending folks racing into shelters. Nobody was wounded by the projectiles.

The three-phase settlement — based mostly on a framework laid out by U.S. President Joe Biden and endorsed by the U.N. Safety Council — would start with the gradual launch of 33 hostages over a six-week interval, together with ladies, kids, older adults and wounded civilians in trade for probably a whole lot of Palestinian ladies and kids imprisoned by Israel.

Among the many 33 can be 5 feminine Israeli troopers, every of whom can be launched in trade for 50 Palestinian prisoners, together with 30 convicted militants who’re serving life sentences. By the top of the primary part, all civilian captives — dwelling or lifeless — may have been launched.

Throughout this primary, 42-day part, Israeli forces would withdraw from inhabitants facilities, Palestinians can be allowed to begin returning to their houses in northern Gaza and there can be a surge of humanitarian assist, with some 600 vans getting into every day.

Particulars of the second part nonetheless have to be negotiated in the course of the first. These particulars stay troublesome to resolve — and the deal doesn’t embody written ensures that the ceasefire will proceed till a deal is reached. That leaves the potential for Israel to renew its army marketing campaign after the primary part ends.

The three mediators, nonetheless, have given Hamas verbal ensures that negotiations will proceed as deliberate and that they may press for a deal to implement the second and third phases earlier than the top of the primary, the Egyptian official stated.

The deal would enable Israel all through the primary part to stay in command of the Philadelphi Hall, the band of territory alongside Gaza’s border with Egypt, which Hamas had initially demanded Israel withdraw from. However Israel would pull out from the Netzarim Hall, a belt throughout central Gaza the place it had sought a mechanism for looking out Palestinians for arms after they return to the territory’s north.

Within the second part, Hamas would launch the remaining dwelling captives, primarily male troopers, in trade for extra prisoners and the “complete withdrawal” of Israeli forces from Gaza, in response to the draft settlement. However Hamas has stated it is not going to free the remaining hostages with out an finish to the conflict and an entire Israeli withdrawal, whereas Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously vowed to renew combating until Hamas’s army and governing capabilities are eradicated.

Until another authorities for Gaza is labored out in these talks, it may depart Hamas in command of the territory.

In a 3rd part, the our bodies of remaining hostages can be returned in trade for a three- to five-year reconstruction plan to be carried out in Gaza underneath worldwide supervision.

Israel and Hamas have come underneath renewed strain to halt the battle within the lead-up to Trump’s inauguration subsequent week. His Center East envoy, Steve Witkoff, not too long ago joined U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators within the Gulf nation’s capital, Doha.

Trump stated late Monday {that a} ceasefire was “very close.”

“I understand … there’s been a handshake and they are getting it finished ― and maybe by the end of the week,” he informed the American cable channel Newsmax.

Hamas has blamed Israel for the repeated setbacks within the negotiations, saying that on a couple of event, the militant group had accepted a proposal from mediators solely to see Israel reject it or launch a brand new army operation instantly afterwards.

Israel and its shut ally america have blamed setbacks on Hamas.

Hamas-led militants killed round 1,200 folks, principally civilians, within the Oct. 7 assault and kidnapped one other 250. Round half these hostages had been freed throughout a short ceasefire in November 2023.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, greater than half of them ladies and kids, in response to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t say how most of the lifeless had been combatants.

Two strikes within the central Gaza metropolis of Deir al-Balah in a single day and into Tuesday killed two ladies and their 4 kids, who ranged in age from 1 month to 9 years previous. One of many ladies was pregnant and the infant didn’t survive, in response to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which acquired the our bodies.

One other 12 folks had been killed in two strikes on the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, in response to the European Hospital.

There was no fast remark from the Israeli army. Israel says it solely targets militants and accuses them of hiding amongst civilians in shelters and tent camps for the displaced.

The conflict has rippled throughout the area, igniting over a 12 months of combating between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants that ended with a tense ceasefire in November. Israel has additionally traded direct fireplace with Iran, which backs Hamas, Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis.

The Israeli army stated it made a number of makes an attempt to intercept the missile launched from Yemen early Tuesday and that “the missile was likely intercepted.” It stated an earlier missile fired from Yemen was additionally intercepted.

Police stated a number of houses had been broken exterior Jerusalem and launched a photograph of a missile casing that had crashed right into a roof.

The Houthis, who captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and far of the nation’s north in 2014, have launched a collection of missile and drone assaults on Israel and have attacked worldwide delivery within the Purple Sea. The Houthis say they’re combating in solidarity with the Palestinians, however the overwhelming majority of the focused ships don’t have any connection to the battle.

Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Related Press writers Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, contributed to this report.

Observe AP’s conflict protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war