Israel and Hamas Work on Final Details of Gaza Cease-Fire Deal, Officials Say
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Negotiators and mediators meeting in Qatar were trying to address outstanding issues on Wednesday.
Mediators rushed on Wednesday to clinch a deal between Israel and Hamas on a cease-fire that would release hostages held in Gaza, after more than a year of devastating war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave.
Neither Israel nor Hamas has publicly endorsed the agreement, and Israeli and U.S. officials have said that they were waiting for a final response from Hamas. The Palestinian group said on Tuesday that the negotiations had entered their “final stages.”
Negotiators and mediators in Qatar were attempting to address outstanding issues, according to two officials familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.
Those issues included maps of how Israeli forces would redeploy inside Gaza during the cease-fire, as well as lists of Palestinian prisoners slated for release in exchange for Israeli and foreign hostages, one of the officials said.
Israel has also demanded a system to prevent armed fighters from returning to northern Gaza. Mediators are also trying to iron out details on inspections of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians who would be expected to head to northern Gaza from the south, where many have been displaced, in the event of a truce, the official said.
The latest round of talks is being held in Qatar, a key mediator alongside Egypt and the United States. Majed al-Ansari, the spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday that the two sides had overcome major disagreements.
