Hamas agrees to tentative deal to free at least 50 hostages; Israel's approval awaited: Report

Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to free at least 50 women and children held captive in Gaza in exchange for a multi-day pause in fighting and additional humanitarian aid, said a report by The Washington Post citing an Arab diplomat. Israel, which is yet to accept the deal, would reportedly be required to release some Palestinians jailed in Israel.

A report by Reuters citing an official briefed on the negotiations said that Qatari mediators on Wednesday (Nov 15) had sought to negotiate a deal between Hamas and Israel that included the release of around 50 civilian hostages from Gaza in exchange for a three-day ceasefire.

What do we know about the deal?

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According to the Reuters report, the deal under discussion and coordinated with the United States would see Israel release some Palestinian women and children from Israeli jails and increase the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza.

While both Israel and its biggest supporter, the US, have rejected the growing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, Washington has recently urged Israel to consider pauses in fighting amid the mounting death toll and deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave.

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The Qatari-led negotiations have changed significantly in recent weeks but this is the first time that there have been talks of releasing 50 civilian prisoners in exchange for a three-day truce and that Hamas agreed to an outline of the deal.

The deal in question would also require the Palestinian militant group to hand over a complete list of remaining living civilian hostages held in Gaza. The official also told Reuters that a more comprehensive release of all hostages is not currently under discussion.

Ezzat El Rashq, a member of the Hamas political bureau when asked by Reuters about the negotiations on Wednesday (Nov 15) did not directly confirm the deal or discussion.

Israel “is still refusing and delaying the release of 50 women and children captives and a true humanitarian truce, in exchange for the release of a number of women and children from our people in the occupation prisons and getting relief and humanitarian aid to all areas in the Gaza Strip,” said the Hamas official.

Israel will not stop till ‘we achieve our goals’: Gantz

During a press conference on Wednesday, Israeli Minister Benny Gantz, who is also a part of Israel’s war cabinet, said, “Even if we are required to pause fighting in order to return our hostages, there will be no stopping the combat and the war until we achieve our goals.”

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He also declined to elaborate on what is hindering the hostage deal.

Notably, Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, earlier this week said that it had told Qatari negotiators it was willing to release up to 70 women and children in return for a five-day truce.

The next day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they were “working relentlessly for the release of the hostages.” According to Israeli officials, Hamas has taken around 240 hostages after its October 7 attacks on southern Israel.

(With inputs from agencies)