Egypt and Qatar are mediating between the Islamist group Hamas and Israel to achieve a ceasefire of between one and three days in exchange for the release of between ten and 15 hostageshalf of them Americans, reported two sources familiar with the status of the talks.
According to a source informed about the process who requested anonymity, Qatar is mediating with Israel and Hamas in coordination with the United States to guarantee the release of between 10 and 15 hostages in exchange for a humanitarian pause of between one and three days, he said without providing further details.
For its part, a Palestinian diplomatic source said from Cairo that the release of twelve hostages, half of them Americans, is being debated, in exchange for a three-day humanitarian pause.
However, there are disagreements about the duration of this pause since Hamas demands a truce of no less than a week, while Israel insists that it lasts only three days, according to the informant, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the information.
In addition, The source noted that the proposed truce aims to allow Hamas to free the hostages while allowing Egypt to deliver humanitarian aid. to the entire Gaza Strip, although it did not indicate the exact mechanism to carry out this operation.
(Also read: G7 Foreign Ministers unanimously call for a humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip)
The mediation of Qatar, which hosts the Hamas political office in its territory, has been essential for the release of four hostages who were in the hands of the Islamist group and who, so far, have been the only ones released since the war broke out on October 7.
The achievements of the rich Persian Gulf country have garnered multiple praise, such as that of the president of the United States, Joe Biden, and other leaders of the international community who see Qatar as a key piece to achieving a de-escalation in the conflict.
(You can read: Concern grows over possible genocide in the Gaza Strip)
However, Doha has been highly critical of the Israeli military and ground campaign against the Palestinian enclave, which is experiencing the worst humanitarian catastrophe in its history and the bombings have already left more than 10,000 dead in a month of war.
In fact, the Qatari Foreign Ministry warned that Israel’s ground operations in the Gaza Strip are “a dangerous step” that poses a threat to the safety of the more than 200 hostages in Hamas custody and also to the efforts of mediation for his release.
EFE
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