Two Palestinian sources close to the ongoing negotiations to end the crisis threatening the truce between Israel and Hamas told AFP today that progress was being made that could lead to a prisoner exchange on Saturday.
The sixth hostage swap was scheduled for Saturday, but Hamas announced it was postponing the release of the hostages, accusing Israel of not allowing essential humanitarian supplies into Gaza and delaying negotiations for the second phase.
According to sources heard by France Presse - who were not identified -, the impasse could be resolved as soon as the mediators confirm today the agreement with Israel on "prefabricated shelters, tents, fuel, heavy equipment, medicines, materials for renovating hospitals and everything related to the humanitarian protocol".
Today, according to Agence France Presse (AFP), there was progress that could overcome the dispute over the sixth hostage-prisoner exchange.
"There is progress," one of the Palestinian sources told Agence France Presse, indicating that the mediators had obtained "an Israeli promise on the application of the provisions of the humanitarian protocol" as of today.
"Hamas confirmed to Egyptian officials its commitment [...] to carry out the sixth prisoner swap on time, on Saturday, as soon as [Israel] honours the commitment," the source told AFP.
So far there is no official confirmation of progress between Israel and Hamas regarding the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that fighting could resume if the hostages are not released by Saturday.
The threat echoed that of US President Donald Trump, who declared this week that "all hell may break loose" if Hamas did not release all Israeli hostages by Saturday.
On Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz followed suit, threatening Hamas with a "new war... of a different intensity than that which preceded the ceasefire" if Hamas does not release the Israeli hostages by Saturday.
The ceasefire deal was brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States after months of efforts under the administration of former US President Joe Biden.
Under the first phase of the agreement, the two sides were supposed to start indirect negotiations for the second phase 16 days after the first phase came into effect on January 19.
To date, these negotiations have not begun, although five hostage and prisoner exchanges have taken place so far, as agreed.
Hamas released 16 Israeli hostages and Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
No comments:
Post a Comment