By Deutsche Welle
Mar 18, 2024, 08:44 AM EDT
The Israeli War Cabinet agreed in the early hours of this Monday (03/18/2024) to send a delegation to Doha for indirect talks with Hamas, through mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States, on a temporary truce in the Gaza Strip and an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
The delegation, led by the director of the Mossad intelligence service, David Barnea, received a “general mandate” to carry out negotiations indirectly, although some considerations will have to be weighed and approved personally by the prime minister of Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The team led by Barnea asked the cabinet for “time and flexibility” to be able to negotiate and “improve the agreement” and finish closing loose issues, such as the number of Palestinian prisoners who could be released in exchange for Israeli hostages, as well as the increase in humanitarian aid, according to Israeli media.
It will be the first time that a team from Israel and another from Hamas participate in the indirect negotiations since the beginning of Ramadan, a week ago, after the mediators’ attempts to seal a pact prior to the Muslim holy month, which for the moment failed. It takes place without incident in Jerusalem but with restrictions for Palestinians in the West Bank.
The first stage would be a six-week truce that would include the release of 35 hostages (women, the sick and the elderly) in exchange for 350 Palestinian prisoners, an exchange that would include five female soldiers for 50 prisoners serving long sentences for terrorism for each. soldier.
Israeli troops would withdraw at that stage from two main roads in Gaza and allow displaced people to return to the north.
In the second phase, the parties would declare a permanent ceasefire and Hamas would release all remaining living hostages in exchange for more prisoners; while in the third phase, the Islamists would hand over the bodies of dead captives in exchange for Israel lifting the blockade of Gaza and allowing reconstruction.
For now, Israel has flatly ruled out a permanent ceasefire and insists it will resume its stated goal of destroying Hamas when any truce agreement expires.
Both the War Cabinet – of only three members – and the broader forum of the Security Cabinet, met last night to discuss the resumption of talks, in parallel with protests both in Jerusalem, in front of the prime minister’s residence, and in Tel Aviv, demanding an agreement to release hostages.
The parties already reached a week-long truce agreement in November that allowed the exchange of 105 hostages for 240 Palestinian prisoners; while it is estimated that 130 captives remain inside, of which Israel has evidence that around thirty are dead, although Hamas raises that figure to more than 70.
More than 31,600 Palestinians have died in more than five months of war, which began on October 7 after the brutal Hamas attack on Israel that left some 1,200 dead and 253 kidnapped.
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