As progress appears to be continuing in talks for a cease-fire and hostage deal with Hamas - and in light of Defense Minister Israel Katz's statement that such an agreement is "closer than ever," a senior U.S. official told Ynet Tuesday evening that there will be a deal. "It's just a matter of time," he claims.
However, an Israeli official estimated that "things are not yet ripe." This does not mean that a deal will not be implemented, but he noted that "there are significant gaps." At the same time, the Reuters news agency reported that CIA Director Bill Burns will arrive in Qatar.
An Israeli delegation left for Doha, the capital of Qatar, Monday night, and the source said that "it is likely that, in order to close a deal, the senior officials will have to come to Cairo, with Hamas representatives in another room. In the meantime, there is a lot of inaccurate information reaching the media."
3 View gallery
Demonstrations calling for a deal to bring home the hostages
(Photo: Ammar Awad/ Reuters)
According to information obtained by Ynet, the first phase of the deal will include a seven-week cease-fire, during which women, children and elderly hostages will be released and negotiations will take place on the second phase - in which all the men, the soldiers, and the bodies of the killed hostages will be returned. In the second phase, it appears, Israel will be forced to release a very large number of terrorists. "It will not be easy to digest," they explained in Israel.
Degel Hatorah Party chairman Moshe Gafni, a member of Knesset, met Wednesday with families of hostages, amid criticism from some of them about the intention to advance a partial deal first. "I don't know what I'm doing in this coalition," he told relatives of the hostages. "The government is going for a phased deal. I want a comprehensive deal with all the hostages."
3 View gallery
Demonstrations in Tel Aviv calling for a cease-fire and hostage deal
(Photo: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters)
A source familiar with the details said that behind the scenes, as Haaretz first reported, talks are underway led by the Americans to bring a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries back to the table. Ron Dermer, the Minister of Strategic Affairs who is close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been working for a long time on a wording that would be acceptable to Saudi Arabia in the context of a vague commitment to a future Palestinian state.
Now, Israel understands, this is needed not only for an agreement to normalize relations, but also for Saudi Arabia to agree to finance the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip the day after the war. Bothoutgoing President Joe Biden's people and the staff of President-elect Donald Trump are involved in those negotiations with Saudi Arabia. The one pushing for this is Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who is interested in bringing about a hostage deal during Biden's term - which will end in about a month with Trump's inauguration on January 20.
'Talks in Doha are almost at a final stage'
Palestinian sources claim that the talks on the hostage deal taking place in Doha have reached an "advanced, almost final stage," the Saudi-owned Al-Sharq channel reported. The report also revealed the deal that is apparently in the works. The first phase - humanitarian - will include bringing aid to the Gaza Strip and releasing all civilian Israeli hostages, and female soldiers, whether they are alive or their bodies are being held in Gaza.
The first phase will reportedly last at least six weeks, and the Israeli civilian hostages will be released in exchange for the release of hundreds of terrorists from Israeli prisons. The aid to Gaza will come immediately after the start of the cease-fire - and will also be accompanied by an Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi corridor. The forces will remain on the eastern side of the Rafah crossing - and will partially and gradually withdraw from the Netzarim corridor.
3 View gallery
All the players in a final deal to end the war in Gaza
(Photos: Alex Kolomoisky, Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters, Ludovic Marin / AFP, Aaref Watad /AFP, AP, Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP copy)
The Washington Post reported earlier Tuesday that Hamas insists on the return of the displaced to the north of the Gaza Strip, and the Saudi report also claims that they will be allowed to return to Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip, with an IDF supervision mechanism that will ensure that Hamas terrorists and factions of other terrorist organizations do not take over the area.
The Palestinian authorities, the report noted, did not reveal further details regarding that mechanism, and it is still unclear how it will operate. In the second phase of the agreement, the remaining Israeli hostages, including soldiers and officers, also will be released in exchange for the release of terrorists - the number of whom has not yet been finally agreed upon. Among other things, dozens of terrorists who have been sentenced to long prison terms are also expected to be released.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
The sources noted that this list does not currently include prisoners considered terror "leaders", such as Marwan Barghouti. Israel, it is claimed, insists on deporting these terrorists. At this stage, Israel will also complete its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, with forces being allowed to remain in the eastern and northern border areas. After that, the end of the war will be declared and the blockade on the Gaza Strip will be lifted, including the opening of the crossings.
And who will manage those crossings? According to the sources, the Palestinian Authority, in coordination with Egypt and the European Union, will be responsible for supervising the Rafah crossing. The crossing will be activated gradually with the entry of aid and the transfer of the wounded and sick from Gaza.
There has also been discussion about the "day after" the war .The identity of the administrator of the Gaza Strip will be agreed upon at the end of the war, according to the report. The one who will decide on this will be a committee with "independent powers," which will operate in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority. This, however, requires a presidential decree from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.