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FILE PHOTO A women looks at Israeli newspapers headlines reporting the October 7th attacks in 'the hostages square' outside the Kirya military base, in Tel Aviv, Israel, 06 December 2024. EPA/ABIR SULTAN

The time for the deal is now:

Hamas expressed hope that indirect negotiations with Israel being held in Doha will result in "a clear and comprehensive agreement" after more than 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the Islamist organization stressed that it had informed the Palestinian factions about the progress of the ongoing talks in Doha, which are in the "final phase", hoping that "this round of negotiations will end with a clear and comprehensive agreement."

Qatari mediators have already sent Israel and Hamas a draft proposal for an agreement to end the fighting in the Gaza Strip and exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners as a first step towards ending the war that has already lasted 15 months.

A week before US President-elect Donald Trump succeeds President Joe Biden, officials say progress has been made in talks underway in Doha and that a deal is close.

Here are the main points of the plan, according to an Israeli official and a Palestinian official. Hamas has not provided any details.

– Return of hostages –

In the first stage, 33 hostages will be released. These include children, women including female soldiers, men over 50, the wounded and the sick. Israel believes most of the hostages are alive, but has not had official confirmation from Hamas.

– The first stage will last 60 days. If everything goes as planned, negotiations will begin on the 16th day after the agreement comes into force for the second stage, during which the remaining surviving hostages – male soldiers and younger male civilians – will be released and the bodies of dead hostages will be returned.

– In exchange for the hostages, Israel will release more than 1.000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from its prisons, including convicts serving long sentences for deadly attacks.

– Hamas members who participated in the October 7, 2023 attack against Israel will not be released.

– Withdrawal of troops –

The withdrawal will be progressive, with Israeli forces remaining on the border perimeter to defend Israeli border towns and villages.

– There will be security settings in Philadelphia Corridor which borders Egypt, along the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, while Israel will withdraw from parts of it after the first few days of the agreement.

– Residents of the northern part of the Gaza Strip will be allowed to return unarmed, while there will be a mechanism to ensure that they are not transferred there armsIsraeli troops will withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor in the center of the Gaza Strip.

 The Rafah Pass between Egypt and Gaza will gradually begin to operate, allowing those who are sick and those in need of humanitarian assistance to leave the enclave.

– Increased assistance –

There will be a significant increase in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, where international institutions, including the United Nations, say the population is facing a serious humanitarian crisis.

Israel allows aid to pass through the enclave, but there have been disputes over the amount allowed to enter as well as the amount that reaches people in need, as looting by criminal gangs is an increasing problem.

– Future governance of Gaza –

Who will govern Gaza after the war is one of the unknown elements of the negotiations.

It appears that the current round of talks left this issue out of the proposal due to its complexity and the possibility of preventing a limited agreement.

Israel has said it will not end the war by leaving Hamas in power. It has also rejected the possibility of Gaza being run by the Palestinian Authority, the Western-backed body created under the interim Oslo peace accords three decades ago and which exercises limited sovereignty in the occupied West Bank.

Israel has also stated since the beginning of its military campaign in Gaza that it will maintain security control in the enclave after the fighting ends.

The international community has stated that Gaza should be run by Palestinians, but efforts to find alternatives among civil society or factional leaders have proven largely fruitless.

However, there have been discussions between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the US about an interim administration that would govern Gaza until a reformed Palestinian Authority can take over.

With information from Reuters/AFP via APE – MPA

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