Efforts are in place to establish a possible new ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel for the exchange of prisoners and hostages on both sides, following after the collapse of the previous truce that lasted a week.
According to media reports, Tel Aviv requested Egypt and Qatar’s mediation to conclude a prisoner exchange deal as part of a new humanitarian truce, as conditions are ripe for concluding a new deal and movements in direction are ongoing.
Israeli media reported an official source as saying that the occupation government is ready to listen to mediator proposals regarding a new exchange deal with Hamas, and that Tel Aviv is considering resuming contacts with mediation parties regarding a new prisoner exchange deal.
According to Hebrew Channel 12, an Israeli source explained that the conditions under which it is possible to begin drafting new agreements have matured.
It added that Israel seeks to release several remaining hostages made up of women, wounded, sick and elderly, and that the two members of the Israeli negotiating team received instructions to begin listening to the mediators.
On Palestine’s end, a source said that the mediators began submitting offers which he called the “testing the pulse” phase.
He expected this phase to be short, given that there are arrangements agreed upon in the previous negotiation phase.
These arrangements, he said, are related to the classification of Israeli prisoners inside Gaza, the characterization of Palestinian prisoners and their sorting by Palestinian factions, as the general lines have become clear and the scope of the negotiations are more defined.
On the other hand, two American officials explained to NBC News that the administration of US President Joe Biden has limited hopes of reaching another truce between Israel and Hamas, and the possible release of more detainees.
