According to several consistent sources, an agreement aimed at freeing the hostages held by Hamas is about to be concluded.
According to sources within the Israeli government who spoke to Euronews, an agreement for the release of hostages held by Hamas is nearing finalization.
These sources indicate that up to 40 children as well as around twenty women and elderly people could be released in exchange for a ceasefire extending over a period of 3 to 5 days. In return, the release of certain Palestinian prisoners held in Israel would be considered.
While these negotiations are underway, the families of the hostages maintain constant pressure on the Israeli government, hoping for the return of their loved ones currently held in Gaza.
Sharone Lifschitz, whose 85-year-old mother Yocheved was released a few weeks after her kidnapping, gives her testimony.
“So many members of our communities are dead. There are so many hostages. Many are deeply traumatized. Our home has burned. Our community is scattered across the country. My mother’s heart is in Gaza with those who are found there”, she shared during an interview with Euronews.
After being released, Yocheved Lifschitz testified that she was “well treated” during her captivity in the Gaza Strip, expressing that she held no ill will towards the Palestinians.
However, his daughter Sharone expresses a different perspective on this delicate situation: “I think the way she was treated is just a small part of a story where horrible crimes were committed. There were 1,400 deaths. People were mutilated and burned alive.”
For Sharone, Hamas embodies the worst terrorist organization: “The whole of Gaza is under the influence of Hamas. They are criminals. They are a terrorist organization more terrible than Daesh, worse than Boko Haram. The atrocities they have committed are indescribable.”
International pressures and military escalation
At the same time, sources report pressure exerted by Washington on Tel Aviv in order to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and facilitate the delivery of fuel to hospitals.
At the same time, the Israeli army is intensifying its operations in the Gaza Strip, in anticipation of a potential ceasefire.
“Minor” obstacles before a hostage agreement (Qatar)
On Sunday, the Qatari Prime Minister also affirmed that the release of the hostages was now based on “minor” practical questions, without however providing a timetable.
“The challenges that remain in the negotiations are very minor (…) They are more logistical, they are more practical,” declared Mohammed bin Abdelrahmane Al-Thani during a press conference in Doha alongside the head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell.
The negotiations for an agreement were “Ups and downs over the last few weeks. I think I’m now more confident that we are close enough to reach an agreement that will allow these people (the hostages) to return home safely.”he added.
Mr. Borrell, who was due to meet the Emir of Qatar before traveling to Jordan, called for the “unconditional release” of all the hostages, and denounced the Hamas attack on Israel.
“There is no hierarchy between horrors, one horror does not justify another”, he said, calling for an end to the escalation of violence and a “lasting peace” In the region.
The Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7 left 1,200 dead, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities who estimate that around 240 people were taken hostage by the Palestinian Islamist movement that day.
In retaliation, Israel vowed to “annihilate” Hamas which took power in Gaza in 2007. Israeli bombings on the Gaza Strip have since left 12,300 dead, mainly civilians, according to the Palestinian movement’s government.
