JERUSALEM: Israel’s Channel 12 revealed details Monday about a potential cease-fire and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
The agreement reportedly consists of three phases, with the first lasting 42 days and including the release of 33 Israeli captives.
An Israeli delegation, Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US are awaiting a final decision from Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar on the deal’s draft text, the channel reported.
Mediators have asked Hamas to respond by midnight Monday, it said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also consulting with security officials on the matter, according to Channel 12.
Details of proposed deal
Phase one, termed the “humanitarian phase,” is set to last 42 days. It includes the release of 33 Israeli captives, both alive and deceased, with a focus on women, the elderly and the ill. In return, the Israeli military would withdraw from most areas it currently controls in Gaza.
The release of the first group of Israeli captives is planned for the seventh day after the cease-fire begins. Israel has also agreed to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those with long sentences or life terms.
For each Israeli female soldier released, 50 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed — 30 serving life sentences and 20 serving extended terms, the report said.
Similarly, for each Israeli woman or elderly civilian released, 30 Palestinian prisoners including minors, women and the sick would be freed.
The second phase, beginning on the 16th day of the agreement, would focus on broader negotiations for releasing the remaining captives, including soldiers and young detainees.
The third and final phase, according to the report, involves long-term arrangements, including discussions on an alternative administration for Gaza and plans for its reconstruction.
Concessions and disputes
The broadcaster said that as part of the emerging deal, Israel has agreed to allow displaced people to return to northern Gaza, a key demand from Hamas during negotiations. Security checks on vehicles would be conducted by an international body, while pedestrians would not be searched.
However, significant disputes remain. Hamas demands Israel’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor, a border area between Gaza and Egypt, and a permanent cease-fire. Israel, however, is only prepared to agree to a temporary cease-fire and a phased withdrawal from the corridor.
Another point of contention is the depth of a buffer zone along Gaza’s borders. Hamas insists on restoring pre-Oct. 7 conditions, with a buffer zone of 300-500 meters. Israel, by contrast, seeks a two-kilometer buffer.
Israel currently holds more than 10,300 Palestinian prisoners, while it is estimated that 99 Israelis are detained in Gaza. Hamas said that many Israeli captives have been killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.
The prisoner swap and cease-fire talks, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the US, have been interrupted several times due to new conditions imposed by Netanyahu.
The Israeli opposition and families of captives accuse him of obstructing efforts to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.
The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed nearly 46,600 people, most of them women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
