Hebrew Channel 12 announced that Israel has informed intermediaries that it is ready to make concessions on all terms of the prisoner exchange deal except for halting the war. The terms include: "the first phase consists of a 45-day ceasefire, the release of 35 Israeli prisoners, and between 100 to 200 Palestinian prisoners for each Israeli."
John Kirby, the spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, expressed his belief that there is a framework to reach a new agreement between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel, while the security cabinet is scheduled to meet tonight, chaired by Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss proposals for the potential deal.
During an interview with CNN, Kirby described the discussions held in Paris regarding the features of a new prisoner exchange deal as "constructive." He added, "We believe there is a framework for another agreement regarding hostages. This could make a difference in terms of securing the release of more hostages, delivering more aid, and effectively reducing violence." He noted that discussions with Qatari, Egyptian, and Israeli officials have been very positive, but cautioned, "We haven't crossed the finish line yet... but we are satisfied with the discussions and their trajectory, and we aim to achieve something that could be highly significant."
For his part, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that progress had been made yesterday in laying the groundwork for moving forward on the issue of detainees, indicating that the talks have improved compared to previous weeks, and that the current phase could lead to a permanent ceasefire in the future. However, he warned during a dialogue at the Atlantic Council in Washington that the current escalation in Gaza would not lead to any progress concerning the return of hostages.
Sheikh Mohammed confirmed that Qatar's role is to mediate and seek to bridge the gap rather than pressure the parties, and that it cannot predict Hamas's response. Regarding the resolution of the Palestinian issue, he pointed out that Hamas has not been an obstacle to the two-state solution, but that Israel has always been the obstacle.
On another note, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority stated that the discussions held in Paris, involving Israel, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, concluded with progress in the negotiations regarding the prisoner exchange. The authority quoted an Israeli political source as saying that the talks addressed a phased plan for the release of Israeli prisoners. Hamas has also insisted on halting the war and withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza before concluding any agreement to exchange prisoners.
