Negotiations between Israel and "Hamas" are at the forefront of regional and international attention, following American and Arab efforts to advance the issue in recent hours. A senior U.S. official informed CNN that "a framework for an agreement between Israel and Hamas regarding the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza has been established."
Yesterday, U.S. President Joe Biden had a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the latest developments in resuming negotiations and sending an Israeli delegation to Doha. An Israeli source familiar with the negotiations told CNN that "Israel and Hamas are close to reaching a framework for the agreement."
In recent days, Hamas provided a response to Qatari and Egyptian mediators, a step that Israeli officials believe will allow both sides to enter into detailed negotiations for an agreement, although this is not guaranteed yet. According to the U.S. official speaking to CNN, "It appears that Biden and Netanyahu have made a breakthrough in moving from the first phase to the second phase," adding, "The agreement in its current form is very consistent with what Biden proposed in his speech."
The official noted that "some of the main issues related to moving from the first phase to the second phase had indeed been obstacles, and I believe we have achieved a breakthrough." He stated, "The text now is very consistent with the president's speech in May and the United Nations Security Council resolution."
Moreover, the official warned that reaching a final agreement "may take some time," emphasizing that "the U.S. administration will do everything it can to help reach a final agreement." He said, "This is not an agreement that will be reached in a few days. There is still work to be done, and we are ready to do everything we can to facilitate reaching an agreement as soon as possible, a final agreement."
The communication between Biden and Netanyahu lasted for 30 minutes yesterday and focused on the details of the deal, according to a senior U.S. official, noting that "Biden will have the opportunity to discuss the agreement with other world leaders next week during the NATO summit in Washington."
In response to a question about whether the administration believes Netanyahu could "sabotage the agreement," the U.S. official stated that "the agreement is structured in a way that fully protects Israel's interests," adding that "hostage talks are expected to take place in Doha starting today, and will continue over the next few days."
In this context, a senior U.S. administration official told NBC News that "negotiations are likely to take place in Doha in the coming days with an American team to assist in reaching an agreement." The official noted that "Israeli military operations over the past weeks in Rafah have placed new pressures on Hamas."
For its part, the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth pointed out that "there are some obstacles before reaching an agreement, including Hamas's demand that Israel not have the right to object to the 'security' Palestinian prisoners who will be released." The newspaper highlighted that "one of the obstacles that could hinder the agreement is Hamas's demand for an Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor and the issue related to the commitment to end the war," announcing that it is possible to reach an agreement within two or three weeks.
