Israel agrees to US-backed hostage swap deal with Hamas

A Palestinian girl watches an Israeli drone fly over destroyed houses in the Rafah refugee camp. Pic/AP

Israel has accepted the United States of America's proposal for a prisoner-hostage exchange with Hamas, a Palestinian organisation. According to the terms of the agreement, Israel will free around 700 Palestinian detainees, including 100 who are serving life sentences for killing Israelis. In exchange, Hamas will release 40 Israeli hostages detained in Gaza.

According to CNN and Channel 11 (Kan News), Israel is making big concessions to return the abducted Israelis home. However, some concerns remain unresolved, including humanitarian aid distribution and Israeli military activities in Gaza, reported ANI.

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The report further stated CIA Director Bill Burns offered the arrangement during talks in Doha, Qatar, where mediators are aiding negotiations between Hamas and Israel. However, Hamas has not yet approved the deal, and it could take one to three days for a response.

Analysts believe that the trade will involve some American captives, given that it includes the release of individuals over the age of 50. Hamas had previously demanded the release of 700 to 1,000 Palestinian detainees, which Israel called "ridiculous" and "absurd", the report added.

"Those details need to go from Hamas representatives in Doha, who are negotiating, to the person who calls the shots, and this is Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, who is in a bunker some 100 feet under the ground, so this takes a long time," an analyst said per the ANI report.

If the transaction goes through, it is planned to occur in stages. Initially, Hamas intends to release female hostages, including Israeli soldiers, the elderly, and those who are sick or injured. It is predicted that around 40 out of 100 captives will be released at this time.

Meanwhile, the Israeli agency Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories: Judea and Samaria and towards the Gaza Strip refuted the claims made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Tel Aviv is preventing humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.

COGAT, in their social media post, said, "Again, the UN is deceiving. These trucks are waiting for inspection in Egypt and haven't reached Israeli crossings. The UN must scale up logistics and stop blaming Israel for its failures."

COGAT also stated that 142 relief vehicles are still waiting for UN pick-up on the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing, which is located at the intersection of Gaza, Israel, and Egypt's borders.

Antonio Guterres had previously stated that he saw "long lines of blocked relief [aid] trucks waiting to be let into Gaza," and that it is "time to truly flood Gaza with life-saving aid."