In a statement released Thursday, the Prime Minister's office expressed frustration, accusing Hamas of reneging on prior understandings and creating a crisis at the last moment. "Hamas is reneging on the understandings and creating a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement," the statement read.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that the security cabinet will not meet until mediators confirm that Hamas has accepted all the original terms of the deal, which were finalized just a day earlier. The agreement, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S., would have secured the release of 33 hostages taken by Hamas during its deadly October 7 massacre.
The proposed deal outlined a phased release of hostages, with women and children set to be released first, followed by female Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and men over the age of 50. The release would start on Sunday with three hostages, followed by four more on day seven, and groups of three every week thereafter. The final group of 14 hostages would be freed in the last week of the ceasefire.
However, Hamas has refused to disclose any details about their conditions for the hostages, fueling growing concerns about their well-being and whether some may have already perished. While the IDF has confirmed the deaths of 34 out of the 94 remaining hostages, Hamas is reportedly obligated under the ceasefire deal to inform Israel about the status of all hostages within the first week.
In exchange for the release of the hostages, Israel had agreed to free 30 convicted Arab prisoners for each civilian hostage, and 50 for each female soldier. Additionally, all female prisoners and those under 19, arrested since the war began, would be released regardless of their convictions. The deal also includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, with Arab civilians returning to the northern part of the strip.
While the first phase of the deal is clear, the second and third phases are still under negotiation, with U.S. President Joe Biden announcing that the remaining hostages will be exchanged in phase two, alongside the full withdrawal of Israeli forces. Phase three would involve the return of the remains of any hostages killed during the conflict and the start of a major reconstruction plan for Gaza.
Israeli officials have expressed their willingness to continue negotiations in good faith, hoping to bring the remaining hostages home. However, uncertainty looms over how many more prisoners Hamas may demand in the future, especially after the agreement to release 1,000 Arab prisoners in exchange for this phase of the deal.
Jewish breaking news reports contributed to this article.
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