New claim from US media regarding Gaza negotiations
In a report by the US-based news site Axios, citing US and Israeli officials, it was stated that the focus of the negotiations held this week was the prisoner exchange, and that if an agreement is reached, 33 hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners would be exchanged in the first phase.
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Ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations in the Gaza Strip, mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, are ongoing. A new claim has emerged regarding the negotiations where Israel and Hamas have yet to find common ground.
In a report by the US-based news site Axios, citing US and Israeli officials, it was reported that the focus of the negotiations held this week was the prisoner exchange.
According to the report, if an agreement is reached between Israel and Hamas, the first phase would involve the exchange of 33 hostages—consisting of women, men over the age of 50, or those with serious health issues—for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, 150 of whom are serving life sentences for murder.
Furthermore, if fewer than 33 hostages are alive, Hamas will hand over the bodies of the deceased hostages to make up the difference.
According to information provided to Axios by Israeli officials, negotiators discussed the list of prisoners Hamas wants released as part of the agreement.
HAMAS STATEMENT: 'NEGOTIATIONS ARE HEADING TOWARD COLLAPSE'
A senior Hamas official stated that the negotiations between Israel and Hamas are “heading toward collapse.” The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Israel insists on maintaining its presence in the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border and refuses to drop its veto on the identities of 65 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences who would be released as part of an agreement. Emphasizing that Egypt, Qatar, and the US are “disappointed” with Israel's demands, the official said, “The negotiations are heading toward collapse because Israel rejects the mediators' proposals to address the current issues.”