On December 17, signals presaged a possible ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages. Just four days ago, a senior Palestinian official also indicated to the British channel BBC that negotiations between Israel and Hamas were 90% complete, but that “problems” remained “to be resolved.”
A senior Palestinian official involved in the indirect negotiations, which are taking place in Doha, Qatar, also told the BBC that the talks were in a “decisive and final phase”. Tuesday, December 24, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed progress after the return to Israel of negotiators sent to Doha. What does this draft agreement contain? L’Express takes stock.
Buffer zone, release of hostages in stages
During ongoing discussions in Doha, Hamas and Israel reportedly agreed on the potential creation of a buffer zone several kilometers wide along the border between the Jewish state and the Palestinian enclave, where Israel would maintain a military presence. A three-stage ceasefire could then begin. There would first be an exchange of 20 Palestinian prisoners for each female Israeli soldier released. The names of the prisoners have not yet been decided: it would be a question of choosing from among the 400 prisoners who are serving prison sentences of twenty-five years or more in Israel, reports the BBC.
As for the Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the attack on October 7, 2023, they would be released in stages, as it appears that Hamas still has to locate some of the missing. Of the 96 hostages still held in Gaza, 62 are believed to be alive by Israel. At the same time as this second phase of ceasefire, Gazans could return to the North, under a system supervised by Egypt and Qatar, and around 500 trucks per day would bring aid in the Gaza Strip, explains the same Hamas official to the British channel.
Finally, in the third and final stage of the ceasefire, which would end this fourteen-month-old war, Gaza would be overseen by a committee of technocrats from the enclave, who would have no prior political affiliation but would benefit support from all Palestinian factions. The duration of the ceasefire is nevertheless a fundamental point of friction and has already caused negotiations to fail in the past, underlines the agency Reuters. Hamas wants an end to the war, while Israel first wants an end to Hamas’ rule over Gaza. “The question of a complete end to the war has not yet been resolved,” the Palestinian official told the British media.
Negotiations on the wire
However, this Wednesday, December 25, Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas accused each other on Wednesday of stopping indirect negotiations on an agreement in Gaza. In a statement, Hamas accused Israel of setting “new conditions” in the ongoing discussions in Doha. “The occupation [NDLR : israélienne] imposed new conditions, concerning the withdrawal (of its troops from the Gaza Strip), the ceasefire, the prisoners (hostages held in Gaza and Palestinians held by Israel) and the return of the displaced, which pushed back the conclusion of an agreement”, affirmed the movement.
Israel responded a few minutes later, in turn accusing Hamas of “posing new obstacles in the negotiations.” “The terrorist organization Hamas is lying once again, going back on points that had been agreed upon, and continuing to pose new obstacles in the negotiations,” said Prime Minister Benyamin’s office. Netanyahu. Statements that contrast with the optimism displayed in recent days by both camps.