According to the Associated Press, negotiations are underway for a three-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of about 12 hostages held by Hamas.
At least this is what two Egyptian officials, one from the United Nations and one Western diplomat, told the agency on the condition of anonymity, noting that the negotiations are being mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, while the Israeli hammering on the Strip continues. Gaza.
The deal, if reached, would allow more humanitarian aid to flow into the Gaza Strip, including limited amounts of fuel, to relieve the roughly 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) blockaded enclave.
Israel: Hamas has lost control of northern Gaza – “No ceasefire until hostages are freed”
More than 10,000 Israeli soldiers are operating in the Gaza Strip
One of the Egyptian officials told the AP that details of the deal were discussed this week in Cairo with a cadre of Israeli officials and the director of the CIA, and that negotiators were finalizing a draft of the agreement.
A senior U.S. official said the Biden administration has not set a specific time frame for ending Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, but hinted that Israel is tying the duration of the ceasefire to the release of a certain number of hostages.
He noted that if an agreement on the duration of the humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the number of hostages to be released is reached and successfully implemented, the same formula could be used for other ceasefires and hostage releases in the near future.
Tags: Gaza Strip Negotiations threeday humanitarian truce return release Hamas hostages
