Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed optimism that there would be a majority within the government to support a Gaza hostage deal, should an agreement be reached, despite vocal resistance from hardline nationalist parties in the coalition.
“I believe that if we succeed in finalizing this hostage deal, a majority within the government will back the agreement,” Saar stated during a press conference in Rome alongside Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
This statement follows US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s earlier remarks asserting that the responsibility for securing a Gaza ceasefire now lies with Hamas, mentioning that a final proposal was available at the talks in Qatar.
“The ball is now in Hamas’s court. If Hamas agrees, the deal is ready to be finalized and enacted,” Blinken commented in Washington at the Atlantic Council think tank.
Earlier today, an Israeli AH-64 Apache Longbow helicopter launched a rocket strike near Israel’s southern border with Gaza.
Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, conveyed in a news conference that discussions regarding the final details were ongoing, marking a significant step towards a deal that had not been achieved in prior months.
Hamas reported that the negotiations had reached their final stages and expressed hope that this round would lead to an agreement, facilitated through mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
Watch: Biden states the U.S. is ‘on the brink’ of achieving a Gaza deal
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According to an Israeli official, negotiations have entered a critical phase, although some details still require resolution: “We are close, but not there yet.”
The militant group Islamic Jihad, distinct from Hamas and also holding hostages in Gaza, announced the dispatch of a senior delegation expected to arrive in Doha tonight for discussions on the final arrangements for a ceasefire deal.
Qatari mediators presented a final draft of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement to both Israel and Hamas yesterday, following what one official characterized as a breakthrough in discussions in Doha.
US President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, along with President Biden’s envoy Brett McGurk, both participated in the talks that were hosted by Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Israel is represented by David Barnea, head of the Mossad spy agency, and Ronen Bar, chief of the Shin Bet internal security service.
A man walks through the remnants of buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes on the Bureij camp in Gaza earlier today.
“The deal would secure the release of hostages, end the fighting, ensure Israel’s security, and significantly increase humanitarian aid to the Palestinians who have suffered immensely in this war instigated by Hamas,” President Biden mentioned yesterday.
If successful, this phased ceasefire—which concludes over a year of intermittent discussions—could halt the conflict that has devastated Gaza, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, displacing most of the population, and continuing to claim lives daily.
This could potentially alleviate tensions across the broader Middle East, where the conflict has intensified issues in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, and heightened concerns of a full-scale war between Israel and Iran.
In return for releasing Palestinian detainees, Israel would retrieve hostages from the approximately 100 who remain captive following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, which began the war.
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An Israeli official noted that the first stage of the deal would involve the release of 33 hostages, including women, children, men over 50, and the injured and ill. Israel is also expected to gradually and partially withdraw some of its military forces.
A Palestinian source indicated that Israel would release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners during the initial phase, which would last for 60 days.
Israel initiated its offensive in Gaza following an incursion by Hamas-led fighters on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of over 250 hostages, as per Israeli reports, challenging the notion of the nation’s invincibility.
Since then, Israeli forces are reported to have killed over 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Israelis display photographs of fallen soldiers during a march in Jerusalem opposing a potential deal with Hamas.
The only ceasefire thus far occurred for one week in November 2023, resulting in the release of around half of the hostages, primarily women, children, and foreign laborers, in exchange for Palestinian detainees.
Both parties have been generally committed for months to the concept of a ceasefire paired with a swap of remaining hostages for detainees. However, previous negotiations faltered over specifics regarding the subsequent steps, with Hamas rejecting any agreements that did not seek a permanent conclusion to the conflict, while Israel maintained that it would not conclude the fighting until Hamas was dismantled.
Meanwhile, clashes continue, particularly around the northern region of Gaza, where Israel alleges its operations aim to prevent Hamas from regrouping; Palestinians argue that these actions are intended to forcibly depopulate a buffer zone. Israeli airstrikes persist throughout the territory.
Health officials in Gaza reported that Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 27 Palestinians within the past day, including one journalist from Gaza. One strike killed ten individuals in a house in Khan Younis, located in the southern part of the territory.
Read more: What are the key points in the Gaza ceasefire proposal? Latest Middle East stories
Another strike resulted in the deaths of nine people in a tent encampment in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza.
The Israeli military has not provided an immediate comment.
Former President Trump’s inauguration on January 20 is increasingly viewed as a de facto deadline for reaching a ceasefire agreement. Trump has indicated there will be severe consequences if Hamas-hostages are not released before he takes office, while Biden has also urged for a final push towards an agreement prior to his departure.
Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of ensuring that Trump will continue to support any agreements on the table, citing the presence of Trump’s Middle East envoy Witkoff as “critical” alongside Biden administration officials.
