As ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas reach a decisive moment, the cost of the conflict continues to rise.
Today, the Israeli military reported that five soldiers were killed and eight others injured in an ammunition explosion in Beit Hanun in northern Gaza. This became one of the deadliest incidents in recent operations. Four more soldiers were killed in Gaza on Sunday. Meanwhile, Hamas has fired 20 rockets into Israel in the past two weeks, demonstrating Israel's ability to continue launching attacks after 15 months of war.
Negotiations involving the US, Qatar and Egypt are reportedly close to an agreement. The draft agreement secures the release of 33 of the 98 hostages (children, women, female soldiers, men over 50, humanitarian cases) in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile detainees. will be released. This phase is expected to last 42 days.
Most of the 33 hostages abducted by Israel's Hamas on October 7, 2023 are still alive, Israeli officials say. Humanitarian aid will be delivered to the Gaza Strip at this stage. Israel will reportedly release 50 prisoners for each female hostage, and 30 children and women for each hostage.
Biden calls for immediate ceasefire in phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Defense Force soldiers fight against terrorists in the important Netzarim corridor in Gaza. (IDF Spokesperson Unit)
The deal also includes major Israeli concessions that will allow 1 million displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, a move that security experts say could lead to Hamas regrouping. I'm warning you that there is.
“The pace at which Hamas is rebuilding itself is faster than the pace at which the IDF eradicates it,” said a retired IDF brigadier general. General Amir Abivi said: Monday's Wall Street Journal.
Abibi also told Israel Radio that any deal must include all hostages, but that the only demand Hamas cannot agree to is “an end to the war.” He said “tough concessions” were possible as long as an end to the war was not part of the deal.
In his farewell diplomatic address at the State Department on Monday, President Biden said: “We are on the brink of finally realizing the proposals we laid out months ago. We are pressing hard to end this. Hostages. “release and stop it.'' Suppressing the fighting, securing Israel, and ensuring humanitarian aid to Gaza should give peace to the Palestinians, and Israel deserves peace, and we will continue to meet this challenge and build on this agreement. We are working urgently to conclude the agreement. ”
Five IDF soldiers were killed in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday. Those killed were, from left, Abiel Weizman, Guy Karmiel, Yoav Pfeffer, Yahav Hadar, and Yair Yaakov Shushan.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan emphasized the urgency in a statement: “We have decided to work very closely with the incoming administration and present a consistent message to all parties. This message Is it in the national security interests of the United States? We are on the cusp of finalizing this agreement as quickly as possible.'' And now those details are on the verge of being finalized, and whether or not we actually conclude the agreement at this stage, the parties are not sure what to do. I believe we are on the brink of this. The next few hours and days will tell. ”
Israel sends report to UN on terrorists' 'brutal' treatment of hostages in Gaza
Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the proposed ceasefire by phone on Sunday, reflecting high-level coordination between the United States and Israel. U.S. Special Envoy Brett McGuirk is in Qatar and is working tirelessly to finalize the deal.
An Israeli couple holds flags and walks past graffiti calling for the release of Israeli hostages. (GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images/File)
The Israeli military has reported killing around 17,000 Hamas terrorists and capturing thousands more since the war began. Before the conflict, Hamas maintained a force of 30,000 terrorists organized into 24 battalions. The Israel Defense Forces claim to have dismantled much of the structure, but Hamas, which still controls much of Gaza, has not disclosed its losses or the number of new troops. The Hamas-run Health Ministry claims some 46,000 Gazans have been killed in the war so far.
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The ceasefire proposal sparked intense debate within the Israeli government. Most members of the coalition, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, support the deal and see it as an important step toward freeing the hostages. But some members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition strongly oppose the deal, citing security risks and concerns that Hamas would use the moratorium to rebuild.
