Hostage deal talks 90% complete, says Palestinian official

Israel and Hamas have made significant progress toward a ceasefire and hostage deal, says a senior Palestinian official, though several key points remain unresolved, including Israeli control of the Egypt-Gaza border.

By World Israel News Staff

Negotiations in Doha, Qatar, aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage deal, are 90% complete, according to a senior Palestinian official who spoke with the BBC.

The official, who is involved in the talks, said that several issues remain unresolved but added that once bridged, a deal could be reached within a matter of days.

Control of the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, is the main issue still unresolved.

Israel has insisted the IDF retain control over the strategic area, while Hamas has demanded that Israel withdraw from the corridor.

The talks have included a proposal for a demilitarized buffer zone several kilometers wide along the Israel-Gaza border.

Since Israeli forces entered the Gaza Strip after October 7, 2023, the IDF has cleared out buildings near the Israeli frontier for a potential buffer zone.

According to the official, during the first phase of a three-stage ceasefire, Hamas would release female soldiers, with Israel freeing 20 jailed terrorists in exchange for each of the five female soldiers.

As part of the deal now under consideration, the official said, Israel would permit the large-scale return of Gazans to the northern Strip under the oversight of Egypt and Qatar, with some 500 trucks entering the Gaza Strip daily to deliver international aid.

In the third stage of the ceasefire, the war between Israel and Hamas would be terminated and the Gaza Strip handed over to a committee of non-partisan technocrats endorsed by various Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah.

According to a report on Sunday by the Egyptian outlet Al-Ghad, Israel is pushing for the release of 11 men during the first stage of a ceasefire. That would bring the number of hostages to be released in the first stage to a total of 34, which is more than half of the remaining hostages who have not been confirmed as dying in captivity.

Hamas is reportedly demanding “special consideration” from Israel in selecting additional jailed terrorists to be freed in exchange for the release of the male hostages.