Arab media reported Wednesday morning that Hamas has accused Israel of introducing new conditions that complicate finalizing a deal to release hostages held in Gaza.
Israeli officials swiftly denied the claims, with a senior Israeli source calling them "Hamas lies aimed at evading responsibility for the deal."
3 View gallery
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Mohammed Sinwar
(Photo: Marc Israel Sellem, Israeli Army/ REUTERS)
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, citing Arab sources, Mohammed Sinwar, the brother and apparent successor of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, has agreed in principle to the terms of the proposed hostage-prisoner exchange deal. This agreement reportedly came just hours after Hamas publicly announced for the first time that the deal was in its "final stages."
Despite Sinwar's reported approval, a Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations told Lebanon’s Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen network that Israeli actions are disrupting progress on a cease-fire agreement. The source claimed Israel has not provided a military withdrawal map for Gaza, nor details on the management of the Rafah border crossing and the entry of aid trucks.
"Israel has also failed to outline a prisoner swap mechanism or clarify how the wounded will be evacuated for treatment," the source said. "While there is general Israeli consent, these critical details are delaying the agreement and the start of a cease-fire."
Sky News Arabic, citing unnamed sources, reported that new Israeli conditions could derail the negotiations, including a demand to maintain a 700-meter military presence inside Rafah and insistence on veto power over the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released.
Negotiators from both sides remain engaged in talks in Doha, Qatar. On Tuesday, a senior Hamas official told Reuters that the group has yet to provide its response to mediators, claiming Israel has not submitted maps outlining the withdrawal of its forces from Gaza. Israeli officials have denied this claim.
Separately, CNN reported Wednesday that the release of Palestinian prisoners will occur in six stages. The first five stages are expected to include the release of 100 to 120 Palestinian detainees in exchange for three Israeli hostages per stage.
The sixth stage will reportedly be the largest, involving the release of more than three Israeli hostages. Palestinian Prisoner Authority spokesman Taher Shariteh told CNN that this final group of prisoners will include individuals who were released as part of the 2011 deal for the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit but were later rearrested by Israel. "Some of them are serving life sentences," Shariteh said.
<< Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv >>
Arab newspapers highlighted the ongoing negotiations for a Gaza cease-fire, with varied takes on the status of the discussions. The Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar described the deal as "delayed but not collapsing." Qatar’s pro-Hamas newspaper The New Arab reported that negotiations are "focused on implementation mechanisms."
London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi claimed the cease-fire agreement is "in its final stage," adding that "the Israeli military is preparing to withdraw from the Rafah crossing." Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported: "The Gaza cease-fire is nearing completion, awaiting official announcement."
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reportedly begun preparations to receive prisoners expected to be freed under the proposed exchange deal. Hospitals and their directors have been instructed to prepare facilities accordingly.
A letter issued by the Palestinian Authority read: "Ahead of the prisoner exchange and the return of our freed detainees from Israeli prisons, immediate efforts are underway to prepare and equip internal medicine and surgical clinics to provide the necessary medical care for our brothers."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told members of the Hope Forum representing families of hostages: "I am prepared for a prolonged cease-fire if it ensures the return of the hostages. It’s a matter of days or hours. We await Hamas’ response, after which implementation can begin immediately."
Netanyahu added: "Hamas has not yet responded. Everything being reported now is speculation." He also commented that when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump assumes office, "the rules of the game will fundamentally change. Every cease-fire violation will face a harsh and unprecedented response."
IDF strikes terror targets in Gaza
(Video: IDF)
As negotiations continued in Doha overnight, Israeli airstrikes targeted dozens of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad sites across Gaza. Among the targets were senior operatives and terrorist concentrations in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah. The IDF said that approximately 50 terrorist sites were struck over the past 24 hours.
Hamas acknowledged for the first time that significant progress had been made in the negotiations, with the group declaring that "the freedom of our heroic prisoners is near." Hamas also called on Palestinians to escalate confrontations with Israeli forces "in response to the increasing crimes against our people, holy sites and prisoners."
A Hamas source told CNN that the group is "very close to an agreement" with Israel, while another told Reuters that progress had been made on key issues, though gaps remain.