Israel and Hamas could begin a truce next Monday that would extend during the month of Ramadanrevealed US President Joe Biden, who raised the possibility of an agreement that would include the release of dozens of hostages in the Gaza Strip.
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The draft agreement has been mediated by Egypt, Qatar, the United States, France and others, who are seeking a six-week ceasefire and release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the Hamas attacks of October 7, which sparked the war.
Such an understanding could include the release of hundreds of Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons, according to the media.
“My hope is that we have a ceasefire by next Monday,” Biden told reporters during a trip to New York, when asked when the agreement would be ready. “We're close, we're not there yet,” he said.
He later assured that an agreement “in principle” is within reach for a truce that would extend during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on March 10 or 11, depending on the country.
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Ramadan is near and there has been an agreement from the Israelis that they will not carry out activities during Ramadan to give us time to get all the hostages out.
“Ramadan is near and there has been an agreement from the Israelis that they will not do any activities during Ramadan to give us time to get all the hostages out,” Biden said in an interview on host Seth Meyers' late-night show on NBC.
An unnamed Israeli official told the Ynet news portal that “the direction is positive.”
According to Palestinian sources from the group in Egypt – the mediating country -, who requested anonymity, the proposal includes the liberation of all Israeli women, men over 50 and children under 19 in the hands of Hamas, as well as sick people, which in total would be 40 hostages.
On the Israeli side, will release 400 Palestinian prisoners and will not arrest them again, according to the source, who added that during this ceasefire “the gradual return of displaced civilians to northern Gaza will be allowed with the exception of men of military service age.”
Always according to the source, since Hamas has not officially announced it so far, the draft includes the repair of hospitals and bakeries in Gaza and 500 trucks with humanitarian aid will also be allowed to enter daily.
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Likewise, it was indicated that the proposal that emerged from the recent dialogues in Paris is “American” and Its purpose is “to give the Israeli prime minister more time to prepare a new attack”alluding to the possible offensive against the Palestinian town of Rafah, in the extreme south of the Palestinian enclave and bordering Egypt.
This Monday, sources close to the talks in Doha told EFE that these negotiations “have witnessed great progress” to reach “a solid basis” on the exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
For its part, a source close to Hamas told EFE that the Doha meetings are focused on identifying the Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners who must be released, as well as the conditions for a ceasefire and the gradual return of the Gazans. north of the Strip.
The informant indicated that the progress achieved so far has been possible thanks to the fact that Hamas will “abandon its demand for a permanent ceasefire” in exchange for the release of the hostages but on the condition of implementing a six-week truce during which talks to stop the war begin “as soon as possible.”
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AFP AND EFE
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