By Zein Khalil
JERUSALEM (AA) - An Israeli channel reported late Wednesday that progress has been made in negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a cease-fire and hostage swap deal.
Channel 12 said the details of the agreement could be finalized “within days,” although some contentious points remain.
The channel noted that negotiating teams have achieved significant progress in narrowing the gaps, with the first phase of the deal reportedly reaching its final stages.
It added that the Israeli delegation is expected to return from Qatar soon to assess the level of progress in the talks.
The channel reported that limited consultations are expected to take place on Thursday at the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the participation of Defense Minister Israel Katz, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and key figures from the security establishment. The consultations will focus on the progress of the negotiations and other related details.
According to the channel, Netanyahu has maintained strict confidentiality regarding the negotiations, sharing details only with key security officials. This secrecy is aimed at preventing potential disputes within the governing coalition. He has reportedly issued strict instructions not to disclose any details of the agreement at this stage.
"Senior Israeli officials claim that the agreement’s details could be finalized within days and that a full agreement could be reached within weeks,” the channel said.
However, Hamas has yet to respond to one of the most significant disagreements in the negotiations, according to the report.
One of the major sticking points is whether the Palestinian group will agree to a partial deal without guarantees for ending the war in subsequent stages.
Other disagreements reportedly involve the identities of Palestinian prisoners to be released, issues related to the Philadelphi Corridor, the mechanism for the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza and the deportation of senior prisoners to other countries.
There have been no official reactions from the Israeli government or Hamas to the report.
Israel, which according to prisoners’ groups has more than 10,000 Palestinians in its prisons, estimates that there are around 100 Israeli captives in Gaza.
Hamas has said that 33 captives have been killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes on the enclave.
Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt and Qatar to reach a cease-fire have so far failed due to Netanyahu’s refusal to halt the war.
Israel has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 45,000 people, most of them women and children, since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala