Give in your own way: the Gas deal includes the release of 10 hostages

Hamas has agreed to release 10 Israeli hostages as part of a cease-fire agreement in Gaza proposed by Egypt and Qatar, a source in the movement told Izvestia. The initiative also provides for the transfer of the bodies of 18 dead prisoners. However, she may encounter the harsh position of the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding the simultaneous release of all detainees and the defeat of the movement. Meanwhile, the Hamas office for prisoners affairs told Izvestia that the number of Palestinians released from Israeli prisons in response depends on the reaction of the Jewish state to the current plan.

Hamas has been under pressure from Egypt and Palestinian factions.

The Palestinian Hamas movement has agreed to a cease-fire proposal from Egypt and Qatar in the Gaza Strip.

— The proposal includes a partial agreement based on a previous proposal by Steven Witkoff (special envoy to the President of the United States. — Ed.) and provides for a truce for a period of 60 days, during which a number of measures must be implemented, the most important of which is the release of 10 living Israeli prisoners and the transfer of 18 bodies,— a source in Hamas told Izvestia.

At the same time, we are talking about a partial deal, which should be followed by new stages of negotiations. As for the number of Palestinians being released, Nahid al-Fahuri, a representative of the movement's directorate for prisoners, told Izvestia that this number would depend "on Israel's agreement to the proposal."

According to Arab media reports, the mediators' proposal assumes that, as part of the truce, agreed amounts of humanitarian aid will be delivered to the sector within two months under UN supervision. After the release of the first group of hostages, further negotiations on a comprehensive settlement will begin, including the issue of the "day after" the end of the Israeli military operation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message on August 18 after visiting troops in Gaza that Hamas was "under tremendous pressure." According to the prime minister, he was "impressed by the fighting spirit of the troops and their determination to complete the defeat of Hamas and release all hostages." The Kan State Television and Radio Company noted that the speech was a reaction to reports that Hamas was ready to release only some of the Israeli prisoners and insist on a step-by-step approach.

New breath of negotiations: Hamas promises to release half of hostages

In response, the movement's leaders demand the release of the Palestinian hostages and the withdrawal of the Israeli military.

Palestinian security expert Mohammed al-Masri told Izvestia that Hamas was under heavy pressure from Egypt and Palestinian factions.

— Allied groups have threatened the movement, warning that if it continues to delay negotiations, they will publicly distance themselves from it because of the continued suffering of the Palestinian people. It is important to note that the latest Hamas response lacked any reservations or preconditions," the expert said.

Hamas has softened its terms

The new proposal is 98% identical to the draft of US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, rejected by Hamas in July, the Axios portal reports, citing a diplomatic source. The key difference is that the movement has agreed to ease the conditions: according to media reports, it has reduced the number of Palestinian prisoners it demands to be released and made concessions on a buffer zone along the border.

If earlier Hamas insisted on a width of 800 m, now they are ready to consider the option of 1 km. Israel demands to keep a 1-1.2 km wide zone. We are talking about the territory along the border of Israel and Gaza, in which the IDF forces may be located after the withdrawal of troops from Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu had previously stated that Israel would agree to end the war only if all detained citizens were released at the same time, Hamas was disarmed, Gaza was demilitarized, and control of the strip was transferred to a new structure unrelated to the Palestinian National Authority. The mediators from Egypt and Qatar expect that the harsh rhetoric of the Israeli leadership is an element of pressure.

— There may be different options. Given the protests, Netanyahu may make certain concessions. But we must understand that in this case we will only be talking about a "military trick," that is, after the deal, Netanyahu will return to his announced plans for the occupation of Gaza, since the continuation of the war remains a priority for him, orientalist Kirill Semenov tells Izvestia.

Indeed, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on August 17, demanding an end to the war in Gaza and the return of the hostages. According to estimates by the headquarters of their families, half a million people protested in Tel Aviv, and about a million across the country. Actions against the war and the Netanyahu government have not subsided for more than a year. People also went to the houses of the ministers, demanding the release of hostages in Gaza and the abandonment of the planned expansion of the military operation in the exclave.

At the same time, there are those in the ruling coalition who oppose the deal. Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said in an address to Netanyahu that the government had no mandate for a partial agreement. According to him, "the blood of soldiers cannot be in vain" and it is necessary to bring the matter to an end by destroying Hamas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich added that the movement had softened its demands only out of fear of a planned Israeli offensive in Gaza that could completely destroy it.

There are still 50 hostages in captivity of Hamas, among them Maxim Kharkin, a native of Donbass. Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov earlier said in an interview with Izvestia that the Russian authorities were continuing to work on the early release of Harkin, who, according to available information, is listed as alive.