Steps towards an agreement on the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza and a possible truce in Israel's war against Hamas. After the negotiations in Cairo with the Islamic faction, the new talks in Paris - between the director of the CIA William Burns, Qatar, Egypt and the head of the Mossad David Barnea - were defined as "very good" and a harbinger of "significant progress".
Now the updated picture in the French capital is being examined by both Hamas and the Israeli war cabinet. According to many sources, the fact that the Islamic faction has "reduced" many of its initial conditions seems to have contributed to shortening the distances, which could open up, even with all the necessary precautions, to a positive solution "before Ramadan" which will begin March 10-11.
According to Arab media and other sources, Hamas has given up its demand for a total withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza - unacceptable for Israel - and a permanent ceasefire in favor of an initial 6-week truce. According to the same sources, the number of Palestinian prisoners that Israel should release in exchange for the kidnapped people has also been reduced: there is talk of 200-300 in the first phase, defined as humanitarian, of the agreement. In this first step, Hamas - according to the Ynet website - would release around 35-40 children, women, adults over 60 and sick people, including young people. But at the same time he would still ask for the withdrawal of the IDF from the most populated centers and the return of displaced people from the south to the north of the Strip.
"We are still far from an agreement but Hamas - explained a senior Israeli political official - has abandoned some of its requests following Prime Minister Netanyahu's hardening." Now, "any further progress - summarized a diplomatic source, quoted by Haaretz - is in the hands of Hamas". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that the situation is moving, confirming that "work is being done to obtain another scheme for the release of our hostages".
The objective - he said - "is to discuss the next steps of the negotiations". But the prime minister has certainly not set aside military pressure with the announced military operation in Rafah, in the south of the Strip, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are gathering. At the beginning of next week the war cabinet will examine its operational plans, "including the evacuation of the civilian population", to complete "the elimination of the Hamas battalions" . "Only a combination of military pressure and resolute negotiations - he reiterated - will lead to the release of our hostages and the elimination of Hamas."
(Unioneonline/D)