News about Israel: Israel and Hamas agree on a ceasefire and an agreement to release the hostages

In Qatar, talks about a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the hostages are continuing: according to representatives of the mediating states Qatar, Egypt and the USA as well as the warring parties Israel and Hamas, an agreement is within reach. The negotiators were trying to finalize the final details, it was said. Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani is planning a press conference on Wednesday, as several media outlets are unanimously reporting. The Times of Israel writes that al-Thani could announce an agreement between Israel and Hamas there, referring to the Qatari medium Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Reports that the radical Islamic Hamas had already given the green light for the mediators to be presented were immediately denied by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Contrary to reports, the terrorist organization Hamas has not yet given a response to the agreement,” it said. A Hamas representative, who did not want to be named, also said the organization had not yet responded in writing to the proposal.

A senior Hamas official told Reuters that the Palestinian group had not yet responded because it was still waiting for Israel to produce maps showing where it would withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip. According to insiders, in addition to a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages in a first phase, the envisaged agreement also provides for Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli custody and for some Israeli troop contingents to withdraw from the coastal area.

In recent days there have been increasing signs that an agreement could be achieved. He assumes that an agreement will be reached, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday evening in Washington.