Following Israel's announcement of initial indicators of a potential new agreement regarding prisoners held by Hamas since its attack on October 7, an informed Israeli source provided new insights into the file. The source indicated that U.S. CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to travel to Paris next Friday to hold talks with Qatari, Egyptian, and Israeli officials concerning efforts to secure the release of hostages, according to Axios.
Additionally, officials in President Joe Biden's administration aim to reach an agreement before the start of Ramadan, which is less than three weeks away, to ensure a temporary ceasefire during the holy month. However, it was emphasized that significant gaps still remain regarding the proposed prisoner agreement. The current proposal being pushed by Washington could lead to a halt in fighting for at least six weeks.
The main sticking point revolves around disagreements on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released and how to determine the list for the initial phase of what could be a three-phase agreement. The senior Israeli official noted that Hamas provided Egypt with a "verbal response" to the proposal, agreeing to "minor adjustments" to its demands. Nevertheless, the official pointed out that Hamas’s new response does not indicate a breakthrough.
The movement has not announced details about the discussions held this week in Cairo. This comes as sources from Al-Arabiya reported that a Hamas delegation visiting Cairo, led by Ismail Haniya, the movement's political bureau chief, began consultations with Egyptian officials regarding a truce in Gaza. Earlier on Wednesday, Palestinian faction sources revealed that a new pathway toward de-escalation in the Gaza Strip is being discussed in the Egyptian capital, which includes a 45-day ceasefire, extended for every Israeli captive released.
Sources outside Gaza informed the Arab World News Agency (AWP) that the new pathway proposes further phases to discuss a permanent ceasefire following the temporary truce in the first phase. It is noteworthy that Hamas has repeatedly confirmed in the past that it will not accept any deal that does not include a complete ceasefire in Gaza and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area.
Meanwhile, Israel offered to release all prisoners held since October 7 in exchange for halting its offensive on Rafah. The last prisoner exchange agreement between the two sides occurred in late November, resulting in the release of 105 Israeli prisoners held by Hamas since October 7, in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails. Currently, 130 Israeli prisoners are believed to still be in Gaza, with estimates suggesting that 30 of them may have died.
