Watan-Israeli and American media outlets have reported that Tel Aviv has proposed a deal to the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, in an attempt to reach an agreement between the two sides.
Hebrew media revealed that Tel Aviv has formulated the principles of a deal, consisting of three to four stages, including changes in the deployment of the army in the Gaza Strip and withdrawal from certain areas without ending the war.
Path to Ceasefire
Israeli officials stated that the proposal presented by Tel Aviv to Hamas, through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, includes a two-month ceasefire during which all Israeli detainees in Gaza would be released, according to the American Axios website.
The officials mentioned that there are more than 130 detainees still in Gaza, and many of them were either killed on October 7th or in the weeks following the war.
The American site reported that Brett McGurk, President Joe Biden’s advisor, traveled to Egypt on Sunday and will later move to Qatar to conduct negotiations to secure the release of detainees held by the resistance.
The Qatari and Egyptian mediators have been trying for weeks to bridge the gap between the two parties to make progress in reaching a deal.
As a means to stop the war, American officials stated that reaching such an agreement might be the only way.
The Israeli officials also reported that they are awaiting Hamas’s response but expressed cautious optimism about making progress in the coming days.
Proposed Terms of the Deal
The proposed deal includes, in the first stage, the release of elderly women and men still held by Hamas, although it is unclear whether they will be released all at once.
In the second stage, younger detainees and youth will be released, while the third stage includes the release of soldiers and bodies held by Hamas.
According to Israeli officials, the deal involves the redeployment of Israeli forces, withdrawing from main residential areas, and a gradual return of Palestinians to the areas they evacuated in the northern Gaza Strip.
Release of Israeli Prisoners by Hamas
Israeli officials emphasized that the deal confirms that Tel Aviv will not agree to end the war and will not agree to release all Palestinian prisoners, as demanded by Palestinian resistance. Military operations will decrease in number and intensity after two months if Hamas agrees to the deal.
The channel quoted Israeli sources saying that Tel Aviv has received messages from mediators in recent days indicating that Hamas seems more flexible regarding its demand for the end of the war to be part of a potential deal.