By JOSEF FEDERMAN and SAMY MAGDY
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and Hamas as soon as once more seem like inching towards a ceasefire that might wind down the 15-month conflict in Gaza and produce dwelling dozens of Israelis held hostage there.
Each Israel and Hamas are beneath stress from outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to achieve a deal earlier than the Jan. 20 inauguration. However the sides have come shut earlier than, solely to have talks collapse over numerous disagreements.
Israel desires assurances that the hostages are alive, whereas Hamas says that after months of heavy preventing, it isn’t certain who’s alive or lifeless. Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by america, Canada, and European Union.
Different hurdles stay.
The primary part, anticipated to final for six to eight weeks, would additionally embrace a halt in preventing, a launch of Palestinian prisoners and a surge in help to the besieged Gaza Strip, in keeping with the officers. The final part would come with the discharge of any remaining hostages, an finish to the conflict, and talks on reconstruction and who will govern Gaza going ahead.
“If we don’t get it across the finish line in the next two weeks, I’m confident that it will get to completion at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated in Seoul on Monday.
Right here’s a more in-depth take a look at the important thing points holding up a deal:
The discharge of hostages from Gaza
Throughout its Oct. 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel, Hamas and different teams killed some 1,200 folks and took about 250 hostages into Gaza. A truce in November 2023 freed greater than 100 hostages, whereas others have been rescued or their stays have been recovered over the previous yr.
Israel says about 100 hostages stay in Gaza — no less than a 3rd of whom it believes have been killed in the course of the Oct. 7 assault or died in captivity.
The primary batch of hostages to be launched is predicted to be made up principally of ladies, older folks and other people with medical situations, in keeping with the Israeli, Egyptian and Hamas officers.
On Monday, a Hamas official shared with AP an inventory of 34 names of hostages it stated have been slated for launch. An Egyptian official confirmed the listing had been the main focus of current discussions.
However Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace stated the names have been from an inventory Israel had submitted months in the past. “As of now, Israel has not received any confirmation or comment by Hamas regarding the status of the hostages appearing on the list,” it stated.
A second Hamas official on Monday launched an inventory of 14 names the group claimed Israel had faraway from consideration after they have been permitted by Hamas and substituted with different names. Israel didn’t reply for a request for remark, however it has pronounced the 14 folks lifeless.
An Israeli official stated the present deadlock was because of Hamas’ refusal to offer data on the situations of the hostages, whereas one other official stated the departure of the pinnacle of the Mossad intelligence company for negotiations in Qatar was on maintain.
A Hamas official, in the meantime, stated that “no one knows” the situations of the entire hostages. Hamas officers have stated that because of the conflict, they can not present a full accounting till there’s a truce.
Because the conflict started, over 45,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, in keeping with native well being authorities, who say girls and youngsters make up greater than half of these killed. They don’t say how lots of the lifeless have been militants.
Pausing the conflict or ending it?
Households of hostages reacted angrily to reviews of the phased method, saying the federal government ought to as a substitute be pursuing a deal that releases all of the captives without delay. They are saying time is working out to convey folks dwelling safely.
“This morning, I and everyone in Israel woke up and discovered that the state of Israel has put together a Schindler’s List — 34 people who will be able to hug their families again, and 66 others whose fate will be sealed,” stated Yotam Cohen, whose brother Nimrod, an Israeli soldier held hostage, didn’t seem on the printed listing.
Netanyahu has stated he helps a partial deal that pauses the conflict, however he has rejected Hamas’ calls for for a full Israeli withdrawal that might finish the conflict. Netanyahu has vowed to proceed preventing till he achieves “total victory” — together with the destruction of Hamas’ army capabilities.
Israel has inflicted heavy injury on Hamas. However the group continues to stage assaults in Gaza and to fireside rockets into Israel. That would portend an open-ended conflict that might drag on for months or years.
The Hostages Discussion board, a grassroots group representing many hostage households, stated it was time for a complete deal.
“We know more than half are still alive and need immediate rehabilitation, while those who were murdered must be returned for proper burial,” it stated. “We have no more time to waste. A hostage ceasefire agreement must be sealed now!”
The discharge of Palestinian prisoners in Israel
As a part of the deal, Israel is predicted to free lots of of imprisoned Palestinians, together with dozens who have been convicted in bloody assaults.
Israel has a historical past of large-scale prisoner releases, and lots of have been freed within the November 2023 deal. However the sides have disagreed over the precise quantity and names of the prisoners to be freed. Hamas desires high-profile prisoners included. Israeli officers have dominated out the discharge of Marwan Barghouti, who tops Hamas’ want listing.
Netanyahu’s governing coalition consists of hardliners who oppose such releases, with some even pledging to stop the federal government if too many concessions are made. They level to a 2011 prisoner launch that included the previous Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, a mastermind of the Oct. 7 assaults who was killed by Israel in October.
The return of Palestinians to their houses in Gaza
The conflict has displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million folks, in keeping with U.N. estimates, with the hard-hit northern sector of the territory largely emptied of its prewar inhabitants.
Throughout the first part of the creating deal, Israel is predicted to withdraw troops from Palestinian inhabitants facilities and permit a few of the displaced to return dwelling. However the extent of the pullback and the variety of folks allowed to return should nonetheless be labored out, the officers say.
Magdy reported from Cairo. AP correspondents Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem, Abby Sewell in Beirut and Matthew Lee in Washington, contributed reporting.
Initially Revealed: January 6, 2025 at 6:59 PM EST
