A new proposal has surfaced to resolve the crisis surrounding the release of 602 Palestinian prisoners and to salvage the fragile Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The plan, reportedly facilitated by Egyptian mediation, aims to break the deadlock between Hamas and Israel.
According to Israeli media sources, the proposal suggests that Hamas transfer the bodies of two Israeli hostages to Egypt. In return, Israel would release 301 of the 602 Palestinian prisoners who were scheduled for release on Saturday.
If successful, the process would be repeated for the remaining two Israeli hostages' bodies, leading to the release of the final 301 prisoners. This would complete the first phase of the Gaza agreement.
This approach is designed to avoid the public ceremonies held by Hamas during previous releases, which had sparked anger among Israeli officials. Egyptian mediation, along with efforts from Qatar and the United States, has been crucial in brokering the Gaza agreement over the past few months.
The crisis escalated after Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday, followed by six live hostages on Saturday. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed the release of the 602 Palestinian prisoners, citing Hamas’s "provocative" public celebrations during the exchanges.
Netanyahu’s office stated that the release of Palestinian prisoners would be contingent on assurances from mediators that Hamas would avoid similar displays in future handovers. In retaliation, Hamas declared that any indirect negotiations facilitated by mediators would be suspended until the release of the 602 Palestinian prisoners.
With the first phase of the Gaza agreement set to conclude on Saturday, uncertainty looms over the next steps. Diplomatic efforts continue as Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. work to keep the fragile ceasefire from collapsing.
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