The Israeli government and Hamas say they are in the final stages of indirect talks over a deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The agreement is set to be implemented in three phases, the first of which would last 42 days.
The deal would deliver the first reprieve from war for the people of Gaza in more than a year, and only the second since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack.
The first phase would see the release of 33 hostages held by Hamas and its allies since October 7, including women, children, men over the age of 50 and wounded people.
Israel would release “many hundreds” of Palestinian prisoners in exchange, an Israeli official said, including Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis.
Israel has not yet committed to an exact number of prisoners to release, the official said, because Hamas has not yet said how many of the 33 hostages are alive. Israel has agreed to release a larger number of Palestinian prisoners for live hostages than for the bodies of the deceased.
The Israeli military would begin withdrawing from population centers during the first phase, but would remain along the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, the official said.
Israel would also maintain a buffer zone inside Gaza along the border with Israel, the size of which has been one of the final sticking points in the negotiations.
The deal is expected to include the release of five female Israeli soldiers held by Hamas in the first phase of the agreement, each of whom would be exchanged for 50 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 convicted militants who are serving life sentences, The Associated Press reported.
Palestinian prisoners deemed responsible for killing Israelis would not be released into the West Bank, but rather to the Gaza Strip or abroad following agreements with foreign countries.
Hamas and its allies still hold 94 people taken from Israel on October 7, 2023. At least 34 of them are dead, according to the Israeli government, though the true number is expected to be higher. Hamas holds an additional four hostages who have been captive since 2014, at least two of whom are dead.
Of the 94 hostages taken on October 7, 81 are men and 13 are women, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. Two are children under the age of five; 84 are Israelis, eight are Thai, one is Nepalese and one is Tanzanian.
Israel holds at least 10,000 Palestinian prisoners, according to the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society – though that number does not include an unknown number of Palestinians taken captive in Gaza. The figure of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel includes 3,376 people held under administrative detention, meaning they have had no public charges against them nor faced trial, including 95 children and 22 women.
Second phase intended to end war
Negotiations to reach the second and third phases of a ceasefire agreement – which is intended to end the war – would begin on the 16th day of the implementation of the deal, according to the Israeli official.
The ceasefire is not guaranteed to continue beyond the first phase of the deal. However, the official said Israel is eager to “bring all our hostages back home” and will enter negotiations to enter the second phase of the agreement in good faith, which could lead to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Israel does not commit to ending the war in the agreement but has committed to engage in negotiations to enter the next phase of the deal — which would lead to the full withdrawal of Israeli troops. The Associated Press reported that the mediators gave Hamas verbal guarantees that they will pressure Israel to reach a deal for the next phases of the agreement.
The Israeli military has killed at least 46,645 Palestinians in Gaza since launching its offensive in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. More than 110,000 people have been injured.