Hamas's demands and Israel's intransigence... are obstacles facing reaching a truce in Gaza

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that his country is open to a new temporary truce agreement with Hamas to ensure the release of hostages held by the Palestinian movement in Gaza.

Herzog told foreign diplomats today, Tuesday, December 19, that Israel is ready for another humanitarian truce and to provide additional humanitarian aid to Gaza in order to release the hostages.

A new agreement to release the remaining prisoners

Herzog's comments came as Qatar-brokered talks to reach a new agreement to release the remaining prisoners gained new urgency after the Israeli army mistakenly shot and killed 3 of its citizens detained in Gaza.

The British newspaper, the Financial Times, said that Israel is also facing increasing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire, as the death toll in the besieged Strip has now exceeded 19,000, according to Palestinian health officials, while Israeli forces continue their air and ground offensive against Hamas.

Hostage deal

Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea held talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman and CIA Director Bill Burns in Warsaw to discuss the hostage issue.

This was the first between the parties since the collapse of the previous hostage exchange deal, during which 86 Israeli women and children were traded for 240 Palestinian prisoners under the cover of a fragile, week-long truce. Hamas also released 24 other foreigners, most of them Thai workers who had been kidnapped from Israeli farms. Near the Gaza border.

Various proposals

Herzog, who has no executive powers, said that responsibility for a new agreement lies entirely with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and the leadership of Hamas, which took about 240 hostages during the attack on southern Israel, which led to the deaths of at least 1,200 people.

A source familiar with the discussions stated that the talks that took place on December 18, 2023, between the Qatari Prime Minister and the director of the CIA were “positive,” but he added that an agreement is not imminent but they are trying to explore different options, but the good thing is that the talks are taking place and they are discussing proposals. Different.

A longer truce

Hamas is seeking a longer truce than the previous agreement, and said it wants the release of all Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons, a number that has risen to more than 10,000 in recent weeks, before the release of the 129 hostages, most of whom are reserve soldiers.

The source said that Barnea was expected to travel to Doha last week, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu objected to the trip. The intelligence chief then met with the Prime Minister of Qatar in a bilateral meeting in Europe on December 15, the day Israeli forces mistakenly killed the three hostages in Gaza.

Video of prisoners

One crucial issue is the price Israel will pay for the hostages, an Israeli official said, and some women are still being held because the Palestinian movement considers them reservists, as are some elderly men.

On December 18, 2023, Hamas published a video clip of three men, Haim Peri (79 years old), Yoram Metzger (80 years old), and Amiram Cooper (80 years old), saying in Hebrew that they are from the generation that founded Israel and its army.

Hostage talks

Under the original agreement, hostilities ceased for a week, during which the movement released women and children detained in Gaza in batches. In return, Israel halted its attack, allowed more aid to enter the besieged Strip, and released Palestinian women and children detained in its prisons.

The Israeli official said that his country will continue its military campaign against Hamas until the negotiations succeed, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that weakening Hamas strengthens Israel's hand in the hostage talks.

High price

At the same time, Hamas appears convinced that it can extract a high price for Israeli soldiers, including the release of Palestinians convicted of murder in military courts, and Israel has in the past released a large number of prisoners to secure the release of its soldiers, including more than 1,100. Soldier in 2006.

International pressure on Israel to agree to a permanent ceasefire continued this week after the United Kingdom and Germany called for a ceasefire on December 17, 2023.