 "Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal 'closer than ever' as Trump pressures Netanyahu")
After United States (US) President-elect Donald Trump's envoy pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend to accept compromises necessary for a hostage deal, Israel is reportedly in the "advanced stages of negotiations" with Hamas for a ceasefire agreement. According to The Times of Israel, citing Israeli diplomatic officials on Monday, the deal would involve the Palestinian militant group releasing some of the hostages it has been holding in Gaza since October 7, 2023, potentially ending more than 15 months of war.
A deal to end the Gaza war is "closer than it's ever been", an unnamed Israeli official reportedly stated.
During a media briefing, Israeli officials reportedly stated that progress had been made in the Doha talks, which are being mediated by Qatar and Egypt, along with the outgoing and incoming US administrations. However, they emphasised that "the deal is not finalised".
Israeli officials attributed progress in the negotiations to the collapse of the Iranian-led Axis in West Asia (Middle East), citing the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and Hezbollah's defeat in Lebanon, which increased pressure on Hamas. They also noted that threats and pressure from Trump had pushed Hamas to negotiate. The officials emphasised that Israel was engaging with both the team of outgoing US President Joe Biden and the team of President-elect Trump, including Biden’s envoy Brett McGurk and Trump official Steve Witkoff, as the two administrations coordinated their efforts.
What are the key details of the Israel-Hamas hostage deal?
As reported by The Times of Israel, Israeli officials indicated that the initial phase of the proposed agreement would involve Hamas releasing 33 "humanitarian" hostages, including children, women, female soldiers, the elderly, and the infirm. Israeli officials believe that most of the 33 captives are alive, though some may be deceased, noting that Jerusalem has yet to receive official confirmation regarding their status.
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If the first phase proceeds, negotiations for the second phase — aimed at securing the release of male soldiers, men of military age, and the remains of hostages confirmed killed — would begin on the 16th day after the deal is implemented, the officials added.
The officials dismissed an earlier report that suggested Israeli hostages would only be released a week after the ceasefire begins.
It is estimated that 94 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 individuals confirmed dead by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
What concessions is Israel prepared to make in the deal?
The officials indicated that Israel was retaining key "assets", including prominent terrorists and control over parts of the Gaza Strip, as leverage in the second phase of negotiations to "ensure that every hostage is returned home".
As part of the full ceasefire agreement, Israel will reportedly pull back from most areas of the Gaza Strip and release a large number of Palestinian security prisoners, including individuals convicted of carrying out deadly attacks. However, according to the officials, high-profile terrorists convicted of murder will not be released to the West Bank, and no participant in the October 7 Hamas attack will be freed.
Unverified reports have suggested that 150 to 200 convicted terrorists, described as “murderers” by The Times of Israel, will be released but will be sent to Gaza or possibly to Egypt, Turkey, or Qatar, rather than the West Bank.
The Saudi news outlet al-Hadath claimed that Israel had submitted to Hamas a list of Palestinian security prisoners who could potentially be released, with Marwan Barghouti, the imprisoned Intifada leader serving multiple life sentences for murder, absent from the list. This report remains unconfirmed, and the Justice Ministry stated it had not been tasked with compiling lists of prisoners for release.
An Israeli official clarified late Monday that Israel would not return the body of Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind Hamas' October 7 invasion, who was killed in Rafah by Israeli forces. This statement followed an unverified report by al-Hadath that Hamas had requested his body during the initial phase of the deal. "It will not happen. Period," the official stated.
Israeli officials also stated that IDF troops would maintain a presence in a newly established buffer zone within Gaza to strengthen the defence of Israeli border communities.
Israel will not fully withdraw from Gaza until its objectives are met, including the return of all hostages, the officials said.
Between the first and second phases of the agreement, Israel will reportedly retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border. The officials also mentioned that "security arrangements" would be in place for Palestinian civilians in southern Gaza who wish to return to the northern areas of the Strip.
How close is a Gaza war ceasefire deal?
An Israeli official familiar with the negotiations told Reuters on Monday that another round of talks was scheduled to take place in Doha on Tuesday morning to finalise the remaining aspects of the deal.
A deal to end the Gaza war is "closer than it's ever been", the official said, noting that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Brett McGurk, along with Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, were expected to participate.
On Monday, Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with both US Middle East envoys, according to a statement from his office, which said the discussions "reviewed developments in the Gaza Strip… as well as the latest developments in the ceasefire negotiations".
US President Biden also reportedly spoke with the Qatari emir by phone on Monday about the hostage negotiations, further indicating that a deal was nearing completion.
Later that day, during his foreign policy address at the State Department, Biden stated that "we're on the brink" of the hostage deal he proposed in May "finally coming to fruition".
What role is Trump playing in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations?
Two officials familiar with the latest ceasefire efforts told The Times of Israel on Monday that Trump's Mideast envoy had a "tense" meeting with Netanyahu on Saturday, during which the former exerted significant pressure on the Israeli prime minister to accept compromises needed to secure a hostage deal before the January 20 US presidential inauguration.
The pressure from Witkoff appeared to yield results, with the two officials noting that key gaps in the negotiations were bridged over the weekend.
In a weeklong truce in late November 2023, Hamas released 105 civilians, following the release of four other hostages in earlier efforts. Israeli troops have rescued eight hostages alive, while the bodies of 40 hostages have been recovered, including three who were mistakenly killed by the military as they attempted to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015, along with the bodies of two IDF soldiers killed in 2014.