A protest march organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, calling for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorist in Gaza, seen marching through Central Park in New York City, USA. December 15, 2024. Photo by Israel Hadari/Flash90
The negotiations over a new hostage deal between Hamas and Israel have advanced significantly in recent weeks, representatives from both sides signaled in the last few days.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he discussed the negotiations with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and that the leaders spoke “at length about the efforts we are making to free our hostages.”
“We are working all the time, without rest, to bring our hostages home, both the living and the fallen,” he said, but also noted, “the less we talk about it, the better – that way, with God’s help, we will succeed.”
Several anonymous Israeli officials have stated that an agreement could be reached before the end of the month. An official told Israel Hayom that a deal could likely be secured by the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which begins on the evening of Dec. 25 this year.
Another senior official told Ynet News, “The estimation is that we will be able to reach an agreement within weeks.” The newspaper also said that the directors of the Mossad and the Shin Bet intelligence agency confirmed with Netanyahu that there was a new willingness among Hamas leaders to reach a deal.
On Monday, the Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper cited a Hamas source confirming a deal was closer than ever. “American pressure on Netanyahu is required for there to be an agreement on the cease-fire agreement in Gaza,” the source added. He also said Hamas agreed to a phased ceasefire, foregoing its original demand that a deal would lead to an immediate end of the war.
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Hamas had agreed to Israel’s demand that IDF troops remain in Gaza during part of the agreement.
Egyptian security sources told the Lebanese al-Akhbar outlet that there were unprecedented levels of readiness on both sides, and that talks over the past several days focused on expanding the current draft outline to include more hostages and a longer cessation of hostilities.
Despite the optimism, significant gaps remain. Channel 12 News reported that Netanyahu told Trump in their call that Hamas was still offering “an unacceptable number” of hostages to be freed within the “humanitarian” category, and asked him to increase the pressure on the terror group.
The outline currently being discussed envisions a ceasefire agreement in several stages. During the first stage, Hamas would release several hostages categorized as sick, or elderly, as well as female hostages. The sides are currently discussing how many of those hostages would be released in the first stage.
In addition to unsolved issues between Israel and Hamas, al-Akhbar reported that discussions between Israel and Egypt over the control of the Rafah border crossing also haven’t as yet been resolved.
These issues were the topic of discussion during a meeting in Cairo on Sunday between Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, U.S. National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan, and Middle East Envoy Brett McGurk.
Meanwhile, Trump’s designated special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, is set to discreetly visit Israel as a private citizen this week, according to Ynet News. While traveling in a non-official capacity, he is expected to meet with Israeli officials to discuss the issue of the hostages.
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