Possible deal for Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages at the 'closest point' yet, officials say

Israel hopes to release 33 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza during the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage deal, and is prepared to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in the process. Currently, senior officials from Israeli security and intelligence agencies, as well as representatives from Hamas, are engaged in final negotiations in Doha.

An Israeli official confirmed to ABC News that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened an emergency meeting of security officials to discuss the progress of the agreement. According to the Associated Press, two officials involved in the negotiations revealed that Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages. Qatari officials stated that the negotiations have reached their closest point to a deal in months, but also expressed caution about the possibility of the talks collapsing at the last minute.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says that more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 15-month war sparked by Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,100 people. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced by the fighting, and large parts of Gaza have been reduced to rubble. The Israeli government has confirmed that the first six-week phase of the ceasefire will focus on the repatriation of 33 hostages, referring to it as a “humanitarian” release of women, children, the elderly, and the sick who have been held by Hamas for 15 months.

There is much speculation about how many of the 98 Israeli hostages still believed to be in Gaza are still alive. Israeli government spokesman David Mencer stated that "most of them are alive" among the initial 33. A key demand by Hamas in the negotiations is the release of Palestinians from Israeli prisons, but it is unclear how many will be released under any agreement and where they will be sent. The number could reach 1,000. Hamas has stated that they are in the “final stages of reaching an agreement.” They said: "We hope that the current negotiations will end with a clear and comprehensive agreement."

When asked if the Israeli government agreed to the deal, its spokesperson echoed comments by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying that "the ball is in Hamas's court." Earlier, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister said that she hoped for "good news in the next few hours." The final details of the agreement are still being negotiated, but reports suggest that Israel will not fully withdraw from Gaza until all hostages are returned. Troops would gradually withdraw from major population centers but would still maintain some military positions inside Gaza and maintain a presence on the Israeli-Gaza border. There is no guarantee that the ceasefire would continue beyond the initial six-week period if further negotiations in the first phase fail.

US President Joe Biden's Middle East envoy, Brett McGurk, has been involved in the negotiations along with his successor, Steve Witkoff, who was chosen by Donald Trump. Trump warned that Hamas would "pay a price" if they did not release the Israeli hostages. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told reporters in Doha: "We are particularly grateful for the role that the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration have played in the negotiations over the past few weeks. They have worked together in Doha and elsewhere in the region to ensure that an agreement is reached." He said that the final issue being negotiated is how to implement the agreement.

Ansari said: "Given the previous experience that everyone knows, it's difficult for me to set any time frame for an announcement, I can only say that today we have reached the closest point to an agreement in the past few months." If an agreement is reached in Doha, it will still need to be approved by the Israeli security cabinet. This could highlight the ongoing deep tensions within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, with some far-right ministers calling for the abandonment of the agreement in favor of continuing military action against Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli government does not need a unanimous vote from the security cabinet to agree to any terms of the deal.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a video posted on social media: "The agreement that is being formed is tailored for Hamas." He urged his cabinet colleague, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, to join him in resigning if an agreement is reached. "We can go together to the Prime Minister and inform him that if he continues with this agreement, we will resign from the government." In recent days, Netanyahu has held meetings with Ben-Gvir and Smotrich in an attempt to change their views on any deal.