Media report on details of possible hostage deals
On Sunday night, Israeli television published details of a possible agreement to release hostages in the Gaza Strip. According to the report, the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas is said to have signaled its willingness in principle to release 87 hostages, reported the broadcaster N12. These include 53 women, children and young people as well as 34 foreigners. In return, Israel must commit to a five-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of female Palestinian prisoners, minors in Israeli prisons and so-called security prisoners. Hamas is also demanding the import of more fuel into the coastal strip.
Contact with Hamas leader only through intermediaries
At the same time, the broadcaster reported that it was still unclear whether the deal would go ahead. One problem is that there has been little contact with the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Jihia al-Sinwar. He had not yet given a clear final answer via the mediators in Qatar, it was said. Israel assumes that al-Sinwar has been in underground hiding since the beginning of the war on October 7. He was last believed to be in his birthplace of Chan Junis in the south of the coastal strip. According to the TV station, communication takes place via several intermediaries.
On October 7, terrorists from Hamas and other groups kidnapped around 240 hostages in the Gaza Strip during massacres and attacks in the Israeli border area. Four were later released and one was freed. In addition, the bodies of two Israeli women were recovered by Israeli soldiers in Gaza. It is unclear how many of the others are still alive. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari put the number of hostages at 236 on Saturday evening.
The ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have led to several hostage deals, with Hamas being a key player in these negotiations. According to recent media reports, Hamas has signaled its willingness to release 87 hostages, including 53 women, children, and young people, as well as 34 foreigners, in exchange for a five-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of female Palestinian prisoners, minors in Israeli prisons, and so-called security prisoners. However, the deal's progress is uncertain due to limited contact with Hamas leader Jihia al-Sinwar, who has been reportedly in hiding since the beginning of the ongoing conflicts.
Source: www.dpa.com
