Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said Israel was seeking the release of 33 hostages as part of the first stage.
“Yes, there are 33 hostages that we want released,” Mencer said during an online media briefing, adding that Israel was willing to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
“Israel is prepared to pay a heavy price – in the hundreds.”
An anonymous Israeli official said “several hundred terrorists” would be freed in exchange for the hostages, with the final number depending on how many of the 33 hostages are alive.
Two sources close to Hamas told AFP that Israel would release about 1000 Palestinian prisoners, including those with “lengthy sentences”.
The 33 are among the 94 hostages held in Gaza since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the ongoing war. The total includes 34 captives the Israeli military has declared dead.
A source close to Hamas said the “first stage of the agreement stipulates the release of 33 Israeli hostages in batches, starting with children and women”.
According to the Times of Israel, Israeli officials believe the 33 hostages are alive, though confirmation from Hamas is pending.
Last week, Hamas indicated it had agreed to release 34 hostages in the first stage of a multi-phase deal, but Israeli forces retrieved the body of one of those listed, reducing the total to 33.
Israeli buffer zone
Negotiations for a second phase would commence on the “16th day” after the first phase’s implementation, an Israeli official said.
This phase would cover the release of the remaining captives, including “male soldiers, men of military age and the bodies of slain hostages”, the Times of Israel reported.
Israeli media reported that under the proposed deal, Israel would maintain a buffer zone within Gaza during the first phase.
Israeli forces were expected to remain up to “800m inside Gaza, stretching from Rafah in the south to Beit Hanun in the north”, according to the source close to Hamas.
Israeli forces would not fully withdraw from Gaza until “all hostages are returned”, the Israeli official said.
Haaretz reported that Israel would allow the movement of residents from southern Gaza to the north.
The source close to Hamas said Israeli forces would withdraw from the Netzarim corridor westward toward Salaheddin Rd to the east, enabling displaced people to return through an electronic checkpoint equipped with cameras.
“No Israeli forces will be present, and Palestinian militants will be barred from passing through the checkpoint during the return of displaced persons,” he said.
Sticking points
Previous negotiations faltered over several contentious issues.
Key sticking points include disagreements over the permanence of a ceasefire, the scale of humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza and the logistics of returning displaced Gazans to their homes.
Additional disputes concern the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the reopening of border crossings and governance over Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly opposed a full troop withdrawal and rejected any Palestinian governance in the territory.
The ongoing talks in Qatar are being conducted with Hamas and Israeli negotiators present in two separate rooms, according to a source familiar with talks.
Any agreement would likely require approval from Israel’s cabinet.
- Agence France-Presse
