Israel demands release of soldiers in 1st phase of deal - reports
Talks in Doha are progressing according to Hamas, but two sticking points remain, including the Israeli demand to include military personnel in the humanitarian phase.
Hamas sources told the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar that the ongoing negotiations in Doha are in an "excellent" phase, with most points of disagreement resolved.
According to these sources on Thursday, an agreement could be reached very soon, provided that Israel "shows seriousness." Two major points of contention remain – the first concerns the Israeli demand for a complete list of both living and deceased hostages. Hamas claims it cannot verify this information without "at least a week of calm" to access the hostages and assess their condition. The second point regards the Israeli demand to include captive soldiers in the list of hostages to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire.
"We are in the final days of negotiations," a high-ranking Israeli official said on Wednesday on Israel's national broadcaster Kan. "The direction is positive, but anything can happen. The discussions cannot last forever, and within a week, we will know where we are going."
A Palestinian source involved in the negotiations specified that the discussions are in a "very advanced" stage, while emphasizing that some issues remain unresolved. These are the number and identity of the hostages to be released in the first phase, the extent of Israeli control over the Philadelphi and Netzarim Corridors, as well as the return of Palestinian resident to the northern Gaza Strip.
Regarding the Palestinian prisoners who would be released as part of the agreement, the source said that a consensus provides that more serious terrorist prisoners would be sent to Iran and Turkey, while the others would be released in the West Bank and Gaza. The presence of CIA Director Bill Burns in Doha, Qatar, suggests that a high-level Israeli delegation could soon join the talks.