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Hamas has given up demand to end the war before freeing hostages – report

The official indicated that Israel may be closer to reaching a hostage release deal with Hamas than at any time in the past year. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

According to a senior defense official, Hamas has given up on its demand that Israel commit to an immediate and permanent ceasefire before freeing hostages, Arutz Sheva reports.

This demand created a major impasse between Israel and Hamas during repeated hostage deal negotiations.

The official indicated that Israel may be closer to reaching a hostage release agreement with Hamas than at any time in the past year.

The proposal includes a 42-day pause in fighting coinciding with the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The official explained, “There will be a price to the deal, but we are convinced that after 42 days, we’ll know how to return to fighting.”

Given the fact that Hamas repeatedly steals humanitarian aid, the official indicated that Israel is seeking the assistance of a private company that will be in charge of distributing the aid to Gazan civilians without Hamas’s interference.

He confirmed that the Palestinian Authority would not be in charge of distributing aid to Gazans at the end of the war.

The defense official also said that now was an opportune time to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities and declared,  “Iran was never as exposed to an attack as it is now.”
Regarding Hezbollah, he said the terror group may be ready to agree to a ceasefire deal, and areas of disagreement are being resolved.

Read  CIA chief leads first ceasefire summit in months in bid to reboot talks

Earlier this month,  Mossad Director David Barnea declared that it was unlikely that the hostages would be released through a deal negotiated between Israel and Hamas.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Barnea, who has headed up Israel’s negotiating team in Doha, Qatar, met with relatives of Israeli captives still held in the Gaza Strip to update them on the efforts to secure the release of their loved ones.

According to the report, Barnea attempted to lower expectations, telling the relatives that he believed that the chances of ever achieving an agreement with Hamas were low.

“What’s going on with the deal at the moment?” the relative of a hostage asked Barnea recently.

“I still haven’t gotten an official answer from the mediator, not to the Qatari proposal, nor to the Egyptian proposal, and therefore it pays to wait,” Barnea responded.

“At the moment, the chances for a small deal are low, Hamas is insisting on ending the war.”