Israel, Hamas in hostage talks, said to discuss 1-month ceasefire

Israel and Hamas are holding discussions through mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States about another hostage exchange deal, according to a Reuters report.

Current negotiations are reportedly focused on a one-month ceasefire, during which Hamas would begin to release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and more humanitarian aid for Gaza. 

Several reports in Hebrew media claimed that Hamas had rejected the latest Israeli proposal late Tuesday evening, however, by early Wednesday morning, the Israeli government claimed it had not received a rejection. 

Sources reported that Hamas wants to discuss conditions for a permanent ceasefire, before agreeing to release hostages. 

According to Egyptian sources who spoke to Reuters, Hamas is requesting guarantees from the international community that Israel will abide by a permanent ceasefire. 

Hamas has demanded a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as part of the deal, however, Israel is only willing to offer temporary ceasefire. 

Hamas senior official Sami Abu Zuhri said: "We are open to all initiatives and proposals, but any agreement must be based on ending the aggression and the occupation's complete pullout from Gaza Strip.” 

Mossad Director David Barnea has offered to give Hamas leaders safe passage out of the Gaza Strip as part of a hostage deal. Hamas leaders rejected that deal, Abu Zuhri said. 

Hamas is also demanding that it continue to be part of the governing body in Gaza after the war. 

On Tuesday evening, Israeli Spokesman Eylon Levy said that Israel would not agree to any ceasefire deal that keeps Hamas in power in Gaza, while Israel’s War Cabinet said it would “not stop striving for absolute victory” in the war against Hamas. 

The Wall Street Journal published an article on Tuesday evening claiming that Hamas is willing to continue negotiations around the one-month temporary ceasefire proposal. 

The WSJ cited Egyptian sources participating in the negotiations as the source of information. At press time, it was not clear whether the sources speaking to the WSJ are the same ones speaking to Reuters. 

The deal currently being negotiated would see the gradual release of Israeli civilian hostages first, with the soldiers being the last to be released. 

There are currently some 130 hostages still left in Gaza according to Israeli estimates. At least 19 of those hostages are women, and the Israeli government is not sure all of them remain alive. 

The Biden administration has been significantly involved in the push for renewed negotiations, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken making several visits to the Middle East, along with Middle East senior advisor, Brett McGurk. 

At press time, an anonymous Israeli senior official told Channel 13 news: "The reports of progress in the talks and a breakthrough are incorrect. There is no progress."

He also said that there is an apparent hardening of position in the negotiations on the part of Hamas but that Israel continues to speak with mediators.