Discussions continue.
Israel's intelligence chief, Qatar's prime minister and Egyptian officials are expected to meet in Doha on Monday to discuss a possible truce deal in Gaza, a source close to the negotiations said.
The meeting between Mossad chief David Barnea, Mohammed bin Abdelrahman Al-Thani and Egyptian representatives "should take place today" in the Qatari capital, said this source on condition of anonymity, due to the sensitive nature of the discussions. negotiations.
According to an unnamed Israeli official cited by Reuters, Israel should offer a six-week truce during which 40 hostages would be released.
According to this official, these negotiations should take at least two weeks.
The Israeli security cabinet was to determine on Sunday evening the “mandate” of the Israeli delegation which must go to Doha for new discussions.
A proposal from Hamas on Friday
Hopes for a truce returned this Friday.
Hamas, which until now demanded a definitive ceasefire in Gaza before any agreement on the hostages, said it was ready this Friday for a six-week truce.
Under this contingency proposed by Hamas, 42 hostages - women, children, elderly and sick people - could be released in exchange for 20 to 50 Palestinian prisoners for each hostage, and at the rate of one hostage per day.
This is much less than the 120 to 150 Palestinian prisoners for each released hostage that Hamas has demanded so far.
During this period, the Islamist movement also demanded the “withdrawal of the army from all towns and populated areas”, the “return of the displaced without restrictions” and the entry of at least 500 aid trucks per day.
Also read: Truce in Gaza: why Netanyahu and Hamas are under pressure
Saturday evening, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, member of the security cabinet, asked, on X (ex-Twitter), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “order the delegation to stay in Israel” and to “increase military pressure until Hamas is destroyed”, deeming the demands of the Islamist movement “delusional”.
התנגדתי ליציאת המשלחת לפריז ולקטאר בפעם הקודמת ומוכח שצדקתי.
עמדת חמאס ההזויה מלמדת שחסידי העסקה בקבינט המלחמה ובמערכת הביטחון איבדו את הדרך והתנהלותם רק מעלה את סינואר עוד יותר על העץ ומרחיקה את חזרת החטופים.
— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) March 16, 2024
This Friday, the Israeli Prime Minister's office indicated that a delegation would leave for Doha after a meeting of the security cabinet "intended to discuss Israel's position" but without specifying when this delegation would fly to Qatar.
According to images released by the Prime Minister's Office, the war cabinet and the security cabinet already met on Friday.
But no decision was communicated at the end of these meetings.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also called for an “agreement on hostages and a lasting ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip, following a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu.
The latter indicated, however, that he would not accept an agreement “that makes Israel weak and incapable of defending itself”.
According to Israel, 130 hostages from October 7 are still detained in Gaza, of whom 32 are believed to be dead.