Hostages Against Ceasefire: Will Israel Make a Deal with Hamas?

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A deal between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas seems increasingly realistic. An article detailing possible compromises is six pages long, the Washington Post reports. The American newspaper quotes anonymous sources from Gaza. It contains proposed solutions for the release of the hostages and for a ceasefire. More and more insiders confirm this – whether they come from the US, Qatar, Israel or Palestinian circles.

American security adviser Jonathan Finer (47) said in a CNN broadcast on Sunday that they have never been as close to an agreement as they are now. It’s a matter of hours, days at most. A Hamas representative was even clearer, if somewhat premature, to the Jordanian newspaper Al Ghad. The weapons would be put down at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 20, the informant said.

At the same time, former Israeli ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog (71), also predicted on the American TV channel ABC that a large number of the Israeli hostages would be released this week. Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani (43) said at a press conference with EU chief diplomat Josep Borell (76) that only the logistical details needed to be clarified.

Hostages in exchange for a ceasefire and fuel

But the parties are discussing these “fine details”. According to a Palestinian insider, there are two proposals from Hamas, writes the Chinese news agency Xinhua: The terrorist organization will release 53 women and children in a three-day ceasefire in exchange for a certain amount of fuel for the Gaza Strip. Or: the release of 87 hostages in a five-day ceasefire and even more fuel.

Hamas is also demanding the prior release of Palestinian women and minors from Israeli security prisons. During the ceasefire, Israeli reconnaissance drones are not allowed to fly over Gaza, which could reveal the hostages’ hideouts.

The intricacies are delaying the signing of the long-awaited deal. Israel does not want a ceasefire, at most a short ceasefire. “Only if all hostages are released can there be a ceasefire lasting several days,” the head of Israel’s Security Council, Tzachi Ha-Negbi, 66, told local press. The war then continues until the goals are achieved.

Many of the hostages have foreign passports

But the pressure on Israel is growing. And also about Hamas. Many hostages come from other countries, such as the US, Germany, Great Britain, France and Russia. 23 hostages alone are Thai field workers. Each country negotiates for its own victims. Hamas has also offered to release 34 foreigners in exchange for a five-day ceasefire, according to US media.

According to the Palestinian Health Authority, the war in Gaza has so far resulted in more than 12,500 deaths and 30,000 injuries. Most victims are civilians, including many children. The supply situation for the population is dramatic. Humanitarian aid is becoming increasingly urgent. The toll in blood is unprecedented in the 120 years of conflict between Palestinians and Jews, says Middle East expert Khalil Shikaki in the Spiegel interview. More than a million Palestinians have left their homes and moved to the south of the Gaza Strip.

Human suffering is unbearable and the global call for a pause in the fighting is growing louder. Indispensable for Israel. But on Monday the army announced further fighting in the Gaza City area. And a law to introduce the death penalty for terrorists was debated in parliament – to the horror of the relatives of the hostages present. They fear the discussion could jeopardize the final phase of negotiations with Hamas.

Source: Blick