Obstacles remain as Hamas and Israel once again move toward ceasefire deal

JERUSALEM — Israel and Hamas once again appear to be moving closer to a ceasefire that could end the 15-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of Israelis held hostage there.

Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to reach an agreement before the January 20 inauguration. But the parties have already come closer before, but the negotiations failed due to various disagreements.

The latest round of negotiations is bogged down over the names of hostages who will be released in a first phase, according to Israeli, Egyptian and Hamas officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing ongoing negotiations.

Israel wants assurance that the hostages are alive, while Hamas says that after months of heavy fighting it does not really know who is alive or dead.

Other obstacles remain.

The first phase, expected to last six to eight weeks, would also include a halt to fighting, a release of Palestinian prisoners and an increase in aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, officials said. The final phase would include the release of remaining hostages, an end to the war and talks on reconstruction and who will govern Gaza in the future.

“If we don’t cross the finish line in the next two weeks, I’m confident it will be completed at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday in Seoul. .

Here’s a closer look at the top issues delaying a deal:

During its October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, Hamas and other groups killed some 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages in Gaza. A truce in November 2023 freed more than 100 hostages, while others were rescued or their remains found over the past year.

Israel says there are about 100 hostages remaining in Gaza – at least a third of whom it says were killed in the Oct. 7 attack or died in captivity.

The first group of released hostages is expected to consist mainly of women, the elderly and those with health problems, according to Israeli, Egyptian and Hamas officials.

On Monday, Hamas released a list of 34 names of hostages it said should be released. An Egyptian official confirmed that the list had been the focus of recent discussions.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the names came from a list Israel submitted months ago. “At this time, Israel has not received any confirmation or comment from Hamas regarding the status of the hostages on the list,” the statement said.

An Israeli official said the current impasse was due to Hamas’ refusal to provide information about the hostages’ conditions, while another official said the departure of the head of the Mossad intelligence agency for negotiations in Qatar was suspended.

A Hamas official declared that “no one knows” the living conditions of all the hostages. Hamas officials said that because of the war they could not provide full accounts until there was a truce.

Since the start of the war, more than 45,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who say women and children make up more than half of those killed. They do not specify how many of the dead were militants.

The hostages’ families have reacted angrily to reports of a phased approach, saying the government should instead seek a deal that releases all captives at once. They say time is running out to get people home safely.

“This morning, I and everyone in Israel woke up and found that the State of Israel has compiled a Schindler’s List – 34 people who will be able to hug their families again and 66 others whose fate will be sealed,” said Yotam Cohen. , whose brother Nimrod, an Israeli soldier held hostage, was not on the published list.

Netanyahu has said he supports a partial deal that would pause the war, but he has rejected Hamas’s demands for a full Israeli withdrawal that would end the war. Netanyahu vowed to continue the fight until he achieves “total victory,” including the destruction of Hamas’ military capabilities.

Israel inflicted heavy damage on Hamas. But the group continues to carry out attacks in Gaza and fire rockets into Israel. This could portend an unlimited war that could last for months or even years.

The Hostages Forum, a local group representing many hostage families, said it was time to reach a comprehensive agreement.

“We know that more than half are still alive and in need of immediate rehabilitation, while those who were murdered must be repatriated for proper burial,” the statement said. “We have no more time to waste. A ceasefire agreement must be sealed now!

Under the deal, Israel is expected to release hundreds of imprisoned Palestinians, including dozens who have been convicted of bloody attacks.

Israel has a history of large-scale prisoner releases, and hundreds of them were released under the November 2023 deal. But the parties disagree over the exact number and names of prisoners to be released . Hamas wants high-profile prisoners included. Israeli officials have ruled out the release of Marwan Barghouti, who is at the top of Hamas’ wish list.

Netanyahu’s governing coalition includes hardliners who oppose such releases, with some even pledging to leave the government if too many concessions are made. They highlight the release of a prisoner in 2011, including former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, one of the masterminds of the October 7 attacks who was killed by Israel in October.

The war has displaced around 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, according to UN estimates, with the territory’s hard-hit northern sector largely emptied of its pre-war population.

In the first phase of the deal, Israel is expected to withdraw its troops from Palestinian population centers and allow some displaced people to return home. But the scale of the withdrawal and the number of people allowed to return have yet to be determined, officials say.

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Magdy reported from Cairo. AP correspondents Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem, Abby Sewell in Beirut and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.