Israel and Hamas appear close to a ceasefire agreement

Palestinians carry flour donated by the UN in Khan Younis, in the central Gaza Strip, Saturday, December 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana, File)

CAIRO (AP) — Israel and Hamas appear closer than they have been within months to agree to a ceasefire that could end the 14-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of people held hostage.

But the two sides have come close before, only to see negotiations fail. various disagreements. This round of negotiations also faces obstacles.

The deal would take place in stages and include a halt to fighting, an exchange of captives Israeli hostages For Palestinian prisonersand a increase in aid towards the besieged Gaza Strip, according to Egyptian, Hamas and American officials. The final phase would include the release of remaining hostages, an end to the war and negotiations on reconstruction.

Although Israel and Hamas have expressed optimism about reaching a deal, major sticking points remain over the hostage-for-prisoner exchange and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, according to people involved in the talks.

“They are working on the names of the hostages that would be revealed in the first phase – the names of the prisoners that would be released as part of the exchange. And then some specific details on the disposition of Israeli forces during the ceasefire,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

Here’s a closer look at the top issues delaying a deal:

Release of hostages

During its October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, Hamas and other groups took approximately 250 people hostage and brought them to Gaza. A previous truce as of November 2023, more than 100 hostages have been freed, while others have been rescued or their remains found over the past year.

Israel says there are about 100 hostages remaining in Gaza – at least a third of whom it says were killed in the Oct. 7 attack or died in captivity.

The warring sides are arguing over which hostages would be included in an initial release, according to Egyptian and Hamas officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing ongoing negotiations. There have also been disputes over how many hostages will be included, Israeli media reported.

The first group should consist mainly of women, the elderly and people with health problems.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also facing increasing pressure from the government. hostage families to make a deal that would free them all at once. They fear the deal will fail or their loved ones who are not immediately released will die in captivity.

Palestinian prisoners

Under the deal, Israel is expected to release hundreds of imprisoned Palestinians, including dozens who have been convicted of bloody attacks.

Israel has a history of lopsided prisoner releases, and hundreds of them were released under the November 2023 deal. But officials who spoke to the AP say the parties still are not agree on the exact number and names of prisoners to be released. Hamas wants high-level prisoners Understood.

Netanyahu’s governing coalition includes hardliners who oppose such releases, with some even pledging to leave the government if too many concessions are made. They highlight the release of a prisoner in 2011, including the former leader of Hamas. Yahya Sinwarthe mastermind of the October 7 attacks who was killed by Israel in October.

Israeli media also reported that there are disagreements over whether the most serious prisoners released will be exiled to third countries.

Palestinians return home

The war has displaced around 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, according to UN estimates, with the territory’s hard-hit northern sector largely emptied of its pre-war population.

In the first phase of the deal, Israel is expected to withdraw its troops from Palestinian population centers and allow some displaced people to return home. But the scale of the withdrawal and the number of people allowed to return have yet to be determined, officials say.

According to Egyptian and Hamas officials, Israel is ready to allow people to return north to Gaza City, the territory’s largest city. But he does not want people to return further north, to areas close to the Israeli border.

Israeli troops remain active in these areas, fighting what Israel considers pockets of insurgency. Israel appears concerned that the militants could resume their attacks from there if the displaced are allowed to return.

But critics say Israel has other intentions. Netanyahu considered controversial issue proposal from former generals empty the north and cut it off from humanitarian aid as part of a plan to starve out any militants remaining there. Moshe Yaalon, former Israeli Defense Minister, said Israel was carrying out ethnic cleansing in these areas of northern Gaza.

Netanyahu also said Israel must maintain long-term control over a strategic strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border, as well as freedom for Israeli troops to operate against militants in the future. Hamas demands a complete withdrawal as part of any ceasefire.

In an interview on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States remains hopeful that a deal can be finalized before President Joe Biden leaves office on January 20.

“Everyone is emphasizing this,” Blinken told MSNBC. “We want to cross the finish line. We want to bring the hostages home. We want to achieve a ceasefire so that people can finally receive relief in Gaza. »