A deal between Israel, Hamas, and the US is expected to be reached as soon as Tuesday, according to a report by CNN.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas would release 50 women and children it took hostage during the terror attack on Israel on October 7 in exchange for a four-to-five-day ceasefire and the release of three Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails for each hostage released, CNN reported.
Two Israeli sources stated that the agreement might be revealed as early as Tuesday. US officials with knowledge of the negotiations emphasized that although a deal has not been reached, they are growingly hopeful that the weeks of arduous work will soon pay off with the release of the hostages.
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A senior US official told CNN, “It’s very close.”
In light of recent developments regarding the release of the hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced that Israel’s war cabinet will meet at 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET), with the security cabinet following at 12 p.m.
“We are making progress. I don’t think it’s worth saying more, even at this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon,” Netanyahu said as he met with reservists on Tuesday.
As per the person familiar with the situation, the hostages who are set to be released are of different nationalities.
The Americans are hopeful that Abigail Edan, the youngest American hostage, who is three years old, will be among them. Her parents were killed by Hamas. How many more American citizens would be among the initial 50 hostages that Hamas would release as part of the agreement was not immediately clear.
One person familiar with the talks told CNN that Israel would cease operating surveillance drones over northern Gaza for at least six hours every day during the days when fighting is suspended.
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The upcoming deal would also allow Hamas to collect any more women and children that it has taken hostage during the fighting’s pause. However, the group has maintained that it cannot do this until a long-term ceasefire is established. It is possible that the temporary ceasefire will be extended in order to free more hostages.
In the course of the talks, Hamas has also demanded hundreds of trucks full of aid, mostly fuel. Fuel is essential for the group’s underground tunnel network in Gaza to be ventilated and for its military operations to function.
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