The Hamas terrorist organization is expected to turn down an offer for a hostages-for-ceasefire deal with Israel along the lines of the previous agreement, which saw over 100 captives being freed in November, the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel reported on Sunday night.
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As part of that deal, Israel released hundreds of female and teenage Palestinian security prisoners, in addition to pausing its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas is demanding that Israel release more terrorists in exchange for each of the remaining hostages. Hamas is reportedly also demanding that Israel free terrorists who participated in the terrorist group’s Oct. 7 massacre of some 1,200 people in southern Israel.
According to Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster, Hamas is also seeking guarantees for the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and a total end to the war in Gaza—a stance that is incompatible with Israel’s stated goal of destroying the terror group.
On Thursday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry claimed that Doha had received an “initial positive confirmation” from Hamas. “Israel agreed to the ceasefire proposal, and we have initial positive confirmation from Hamas,” Al Jazeera cited spokesman Majed al-Ansari as saying.
The Israeli War Cabinet convened at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Sunday night ahead of Hamas’s expected response.
“The efforts to free the hostages are continuing at all times,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told journalists earlier on Sunday. “However, we will not agree to every deal, and not at any price.”
“Many things that are being said in the media as if we had agreed to them, such as regarding the release of terrorists; we will simply not agree to them,” Netanyahu said ahead of the weekly meeting of the full Cabinet earlier on Sunday.
Speaking with ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the White House was in “constant contact” with Israel, Qatar and Egypt to get a deal in place “as soon as possible.”
“Ultimately, that comes down to Hamas. And Hamas will have to be willing to say yes to an arrangement that brings hostages home. And we’re going to continue pressing from every direction to try to make that happen,” he stressed, adding that an agreement is not imminent.
“Ultimately, these kinds of negotiations unfold somewhat slowly until they unfold very quickly. And so it’s difficult to put a precise timetable on when something might come together or, frankly, if something might come together,” Sullivan told ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Washington regards a ceasefire-for-hostages deal as “critical for getting people home to their loved ones, but also being critical to generate a sustained pause in hostilities that can support the flow of humanitarian assistance and that can alleviate the suffering in Gaza,” Sullivan added.
Under a separate agreement brokered by France and Qatar last month, Jerusalem agreed to allow more goods, including medicine, into Gaza. Under the terms of the arrangement with Hamas, some of the medicines were supposed to go to the hostages.
“A senior Hamas official said that for every box provided for the hostages, 1,000 boxes of medicine would be sent in for Palestinians,” the Associated Press reported on Jan. 18.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents relatives of the captives, has demanded “visual proof” that the aid reached the hostages. However, 19 days after the trucks entered Gaza, there has been no word on whether Hamas held up its part of the deal, the NGO said on Sunday.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has also been unable to confirm whether the hostages received the medicines intended for them.
According to official figures, around 136 hostages remain in the Gaza Strip, although dozens are believed to be dead. Many of the captives are in desperate need of medical attention, experts previously told JNS.
A deaf , blind man in a a dark underground bunker could’ve predicted that. Hamas does not want a cease fire never wanted a cease fire and doesn’t ever want a cease fire. With the hostages , they’re holding all the cards,
and with the public opinion turning against Israel, and the EU, US and other western nations growing weary of supporting them, the longer this drags on,israel’s options become more and more limited. Israel needs to stop tiptoeing around and end this now , and end it decisively. Let the chips fall where they may. it’s going to be a tough, tough call to make, but that’s what leaders do,make the tough choices
How come we still hear from Hamas , they should be out of existence by now, I feel something is wrong, the hostages should be found (alive or otherwise)and Hamas should barely make the history books by now
Israel is being handcuffed by Biden Obama &co.
Time to stop all aid going in again
Cut everything off
Hamas reads the world;
More and more calling Israel genocidal, Biden’s henchmen squeezing Israelis , watching the failed Israeli left undercutting the government hoping they weaken it more. Only heavy force can change their minds.
That’s because MOST of the hostages are dead
25,000 Gazans dead? 250,000? Nobody cares; end it already
The Israelies ,both the rulers as well as the general [mostly ] public are not aware of the fact that most hostages are dead ,
another words : any deal might be for coffins of dead hostages ,
I did try to make some phone calls , WhatsApp to some Israelies , so that they should raise this issue in Israelies comments ,but they would not listen ,
any deal ,especially over coffins will be a disaster for Israel.
Does anybody know HOW MANY Jewish hostages are alive ?
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The WSJ reported that Sinwar yms is so squeezed that he wants a 6 week pause deal. But it’s actually hanyiah yms who doesn’t let without a full withdrawal. This means that the USA has lost all influence on Qatar where the man owns all those palaces. Biden has become weak and inept lately. He gave too much to Hamas and Qatar. In Nov Biden was good and they knew they need to toe the line henceforth that successful 7 day pause. Now they aren’t scared anymore. Biden fell for the free Palestine nuts. I withdraw my short lived Biden support. We need trump who will let Israel carpet bomb those 2M filthy terrorists.