- i24NEWS
- Israel-Hamas war
- Ceasefire declaration expected within days of Trump's inauguration - sources
Ceasefire declaration expected within days of Trump's inauguration - sources
The first phase of the deal will see the release of 34 hostages, with Israeli forces remaining in the Netzarim Corridor and Philadelphi Corridor, but withdrawing from other parts of the Gaza Strip
An Arab diplomatic source familiar with the ongoing negotiations in Doha, Qatar, said that a ceasefire deal will likely be announced around the time of US President-Elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, i24NEWS learned on Sunday.
The first phase of the deal will see the release of 34 hostages, with Israeli forces remaining in the Netzarim Corridor and Philadelphi Corridor, but withdrawing from other parts of the Gaza Strip, a Hamas source in Gaza said.
Displaced Gazans will be allowed back, he said, with the Rafah crossing to be opened on the seventh day to allow severe humanitarian cases to cross.
For every "humanitarian hostage" – including women, sick, and elderly – 30 Palestinian prisoners will be released. Female soldiers held hostage will be released in exchange for prisoners serving life sentences.
Israel has vetoed the release of 100 top terrorist prisoners, with senior prisoners released to be deported to either Turkey or Qatar.
The deal will be a phased deal, the Arab diplomatic source said, with negotiations to continue on the end of the war on the 16th day of the ceasefire. Hamas has agreed not to play a role administering Gaza on "the day after."
The source said this would be a phased deal, not a comprehensive agreement, which will see the release of 34 hostages in the first phase in exchange for the release of a significant number of Palestinian security prisoners.
The breakthrough came in the past four or five days, the source said, due to Israel showing seriousness.