The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation: Israel and Hamas have reached understandings regarding a prisoner exchange deal and a ceasefire in Gaza

The official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said on Wednesday evening that Israel and Hamas, through mediators, had reached understandings regarding a prisoner exchange deal and a ceasefire in Gaza, during which it was decided to “postpone discussion of the controversial issues in the negotiations until the second stage of the agreement”.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said, “There are many points of contention between Israel and Hamas within the negotiations, most notably the list of abductees (prisoners in Gaza) expected to be released, which Israel insists on obtaining”.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation added that Hamas rejects Israel’s request to provide a list of the names of the alive kidnapped, however, there are understandings that have been reached between Israel and Hamas through mediators (without mentioning them, however, Doha, Cairo and Washington are active in mediation.

One of the understandings is to transfer all the disputed issues to the discussions in the second phase of the deal, in order to begin implementing the first phase, which is the humanitarian phase.

Since the only ceasefire prisoner exchange in late November 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has occasionally hinted at progress in negotiations, then gone on a rampage against the Palestinians.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted Israeli sources familiar with the progress of the negotiations between Israel and Hamas as saying, “The agreement is almost ready, and the obstacles can be overcome”.

According to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation claimed that Hamas doesn’t oppose completing the deal in two stages, and continued, “Hamas is prepared to include abductees of reserve age (up to 40 years old) in the humanitarian standard, even though it considers them soldiers, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners with long sentences and life sentences”.

According to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, Hamas demands that Israeli warplanes and drones stop flying over the Gaza Strip during the initial phase of the ceasefire, which will last for a week, so that it can collect information about the Israeli prisoners.

Hamas also insists on an Israeli and international commitment to move forward to complete the deal (i.e., that Tel Aviv not be satisfied with the first stage), end the war, and withdraw the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.

According to what informed Israeli sources recently reported to the Israeli media, Tel Aviv is seeking a deal that will actually be divided into two parts – a humanitarian deal (including women, female soldiers, the wounded and the elderly), and only after that a deal that could lead to the end of the war and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.

On Tuesday, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority also said that Hamas had proposed a week-long truce during which it would present a list of Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip, while Hamas didn’t comment.

Hamas has repeatedly confirmed over the past months its readiness to conclude an agreement, and even announced its approval last May of a proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden.

However, Netanyahu backed down from the proposal, putting forward new conditions, most notably the continuation of the war of genocide and the failure to withdraw the army from Gaza, while Hamas insists on a complete cessation of the war and a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army.

The opposition and the families of Israeli prisoners accuse Netanyahu of obstructing an agreement to preserve his position, as extremist ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, threaten to leave the government and bring it down if it accepts an end to the war in Gaza.

Tel Aviv continues its massacres, ignoring two arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court on November 21 against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant, on charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinians in Gaza.

Gaza has been transformed into the largest prison in the world, under siege for the 18th year, and the war of extermination has forced about two million of its citizens, numbering about 2.3 million Palestinians, to flee in tragic conditions with a deliberate severe shortage of food, water and medicine.