Israel is discussing a possible six-week ceasefire plan that would see an exchange of prisoners with the terrorist organization Hamas and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
On Saturday, Israel agreed to send a delegation to Qatar to discuss a ceasefire plan hammered out on February 23 in Paris. Specialists arrived on February 25, while the main delegation left Israel on February 26 to begin the talks. Hamas has its political office in Qatar, and the country has been key in negotiating the ceasefire deal.
“[T]he fact that these negotiations are still ongoing and that people are, in fact, sitting together to try to hash it out is a good thing. And we’re obviously very hopeful that we can come to closure on a deal that would allow for an extended pause; get all the hostages out over time, in stages; and then, of course, be able to increase humanitarian assistance,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in a teleconference call on February 23.
Reports indicate that the proposed framework would see a six-week ceasefire and the release of 200-300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 35-40 Israeli captives. The prisoner swap would include women, children, and the elderly, but Israel is not willing to discuss releasing captured terrorists, one of the demands Hamas has made.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed to CBS on Sunday that a ceasefire deal could “delay somewhat” his country’s planned assault on Rafah, one of the few cities in Gaza where Israeli forces have yet to conduct significant military operations. On February 26, the Israeli War Cabinet received an “operational plan” from the military that is alleged to include a plan to evacuate civilians and provide humanitarian assistance to non-combatants.
The English version of Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Hamas demands that Palestinians be allowed to return to the north, Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza, and ceasefire terms include prisoner releases. The news agency said that Israel has been open to allowing humanitarian aid and a prisoner swap but is not willing to discuss ending its war against the terrorist organization.
“We can’t leave a quarter of Hamas battalions in Rafah and say, ‘Well, that’s fine,'” Netanyahu told CBS’s Face the Nation. “Total victory is our goal, and total victory is within reach, not months away, weeks away once we begin the operation.”
Approximately 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah after being displaced by heavy fighting and bombing in the north. The Gaza Health Ministry claims that more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began military operations in Gaza. Israel claims to have killed 10,000 Palestinian militants, according to the most recent report by PBS.
