Gaza ceasefire talks 90% complete - BBC
Kyiv • UNN
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire are 90% complete. The main obstacle remains the issue of Israel's military presence in the Philadelphia Corridor.
Negotiations on a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of hostages between Israel and Hamas are 90% complete. Key issues remain to be resolved. This is reported by the BBC with reference to a senior Palestinian official who participated in the negotiations, UNN reports.
Details
According to a Palestinian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, one of the main stumbling blocks is Israel's continued military presence in the Philadelphia Corridor, a strategically important strip of land in southern Gaza along the border with Egypt.
He said that the talks include the potential creation of a buffer zone several kilometers wide along Israel's border with Gaza. And according to him, Israel will maintain a military presence in the area.
Once these issues are resolved, it will be possible to agree on a three-stage ceasefire within a few days.
The BBC source said that the deal would include the exchange of 20 Palestinian prisoners for every female soldier released in the first of three phases of the ceasefire.
The names of the prisoners have not yet been agreed upon, but they will be chosen from among approximately 400 people serving prison sentences of 25 years or more in Israel. It is assumed that they do not include the high-ranking FAHT leader Marwan Barghouti, whose release is expected to be vetoed by Israel,
The Israeli hostages will be released in stages, as it is believed that Hamas has yet to find some of them who have disappeared. According to Israel, 62 of the 96 hostages still held in Gaza are alive.
The official also said that civilians in Gaza would be able to return to the north through a system controlled by Egypt and Qatar, and that approximately 500 trucks a day would be delivered to the Strip with humanitarian aid.
At the final stage of the three-stage plan, which was supposed to end the 14-month war, control over the Gaza Strip would be exercised by a committee of technocrats from the enclave who would have no previous political ties but would enjoy the support of all Palestinian factions.
Recall
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages by 158 votes to 9. The United States had previously vetoed a similar resolution in the Security Council.
