Israeli sources reported that the Israeli War Council will discuss a new direction for a fresh and complex prisoner exchange deal with Hamas. Channel 12 Israel indicated that Tel Aviv is formulating a proposal that may encompass a significant humanitarian package, demanding the release of remaining women held by Hamas, along with the sick, injured, and elderly, in exchange for the broader release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. The proposal also includes a temporary ceasefire and the introduction of aid to the Gaza Strip.
Channel "Kan 11" confirmed that Israel is indeed contemplating a new proposal for the release of detainees held by Hamas and other factions in Gaza. According to the channel, officials involved in the negotiations are exploring the possibility of reaching a humanitarian truce, based on general lines similar to a previous agreement, which would involve the release of all women and children still held by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinian women and children. Israeli sources affirmed that the potential to expand the agreement to include the release of the elderly is likely, and Egypt and Qatar have presented new proposals to Hamas that include releasing the elderly in exchange for the release of imprisoned leaders of Hamas.
Hamas has not immediately responded to these proposals, and the movement confirmed in a statement its position of not opening any negotiations for a prisoner exchange unless the aggression and bombardments cease, stating that it "informed its position to all mediators." The head of the Israeli intelligence agency "Mossad," David Barnea, met with the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, in Europe on Friday evening to discuss the possibility of resuming negotiations for the release of detainees after obtaining a green light from the Israeli War Council.
Although the discussions were exploratory, insiders in Israel indicated that the talks demonstrated that negotiations would be complex and difficult, potentially taking a very long time, unlike previous negotiations. This Israeli initiative followed the Shuja'iyya catastrophe in Gaza, where the Israeli army accidentally killed three detainees, an event that sparked a lot of anger in Israel and very strong reactions, which are still ongoing. The spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, accused the Israeli army of intentionally executing the three detainees, and "Qassam" broadcast a video featuring appeals from Israeli captives in Gaza for the Israeli army to stop the bombardment for fear of losing their lives, demanding their immediate return before they are killed in the Israeli shelling.
The video, titled "Time is Running Out," indicated that nine detainees were killed by "Qassam," and that the continuation of bombardment without a prisoner exchange would mean more killings. Families of the Israeli detainees responded with broader protests in Israel, vowing to escalate pressure on the War Council.
However, the challenge faced in negotiations is that part of those whom Israel claims are in Gaza, including women, are not held by Hamas, and the movement does not know their fate. Another part, Israel wants to deal with according to the terms of the previous truce agreement, meaning their release in exchange for civilian detainees, but Hamas claims they are soldiers who served in the army, which means they are not treated the same as civilians, and the price for their release is high, involving the cessation of the war and the clearance of prisons, which is considered a red line by Israel as it would mean an end to the war with Hamas emerging victorious.
Sources told CNN on Sunday that the meeting between Mossad Chief David Barnea and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani regarding the resumption of indirect negotiations for the release of detainees in Gaza was positive. This meeting came after the Israeli government canceled a planned visit by Barnea to Doha earlier. An informed source, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, noted that this recent meeting was planned before the accidental killing of three Israeli detainees by the Israeli army in Gaza on Friday. However, this incident made the discussions about freeing detainees more urgent, according to the source. Qatar, Egypt, and the United States mediated an agreement last month between Hamas and Israel, in which Hamas released over 100 women and children it had been holding since the attack on October 7, in exchange for Israel releasing 240 women and minors from its prisons.
