Report: Hostage Deal With Hamas Close, Not Finalized

By Matis Glenn

An agreement to free hostage Israeli children and their mothers might be reached soon, after Washington and Israel denied earlier reports of an imminent deal with the Hamas terror group, according to Axios, citing three sources with direct knowledge of the proceedings.

Hamas leader Yahyah Sinwar, who lives in Qatar, reportedly walked away from negotiations last week following the IDF’s military operation in the Shifa Hospital, where terrorists, tunnels, weapons, and command centers were found. Sinwar reportedly agreed to resume talks over the weekend.

The reported deal would secure the release of 53 children and mothers kidnapped by Hamas, in exchange for a 5-day ceasefire from Israel. During that ceasefire, Hamas would locate the remaining children and mothers whose whereabouts it claims not to know, and release them during a second phase of negotiations. According to two of the sources who spoke with Axios, Sinwar is also demanding that Israel release all Palestinian women and minors held in Israeli prisons for commiting terrorism; around 150 in total.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who has been involved in mediating between Israel and Hamas, expressed his confidence in a deal Sunda, and said that the “gaps” between those involved are small, and mostly “logistical.”