Discussions underway between Israel, Qatari mediators over hostage release

TEL AVIV: Discussions are on between Israel and Qatari mediators over hostages to be freed by the Hamas on Monday — the final day of the four-day truce between the two warring sides.

Addressing mediapersons, the Israeli coordinator of hostages and missing persons, Gal Hirsh said the discussions were underway regarding the list of hostages that was received by the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday night.

It remains unclear on why discussions were required at this point.

In a statement on Sunday night, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said: “Discussions are being held on the list that was received overnight and which is now being evaluated in Israel.”

However, the mediators told reporters that there wont be much difficulties in securing the release of the fourth round of hostages from Hamas’s captivity.

Monday is the fourth, and potentially final, day of the initially negotiated truce between Hamas and Israel.

As of Sunday, Hamas and Israel had discussed the possibility of extending the truce, but no such deal has been announced yet.

Hamas has said that it sought to extend the ongoing four-day truce with Israel, which has so far witnessed the release of three groups of Israeli hostages from Gaza and three groups of Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Israeli jails.

In an official statement on Sunday night, which was sent to the Israeli government through the mediators in Qatar, the Palestinian militant group said it wants “to extend the truce after the four-day period ends, through serious efforts to increase the number of those released from imprisonment as stipulated in the humanitarian ceasefire agreement”.

The four-day ceasefire in Gaza, which began on November 24, entailed an increased flow of aid trucks carrying relief supplies and fuel into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.

Under the agreement, Hamas promised to release a total of 50 hostages, mostly women and minors. It has just handed over a third batch of Israeli hostages to the Red Cross on the third day of the temporary truce, including 14 Israelis and three foreign nationals.

Israel promised to free some 150 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons in exchange.

Since the beginning of the ceasefire, 67 hostages were released by Hamas.

In exchange, Israel has released 39 Palestinian prisoners, according to the country’s prison service.

Over the weekend, Qatar, which played a central role in mediating the agreement, said it too was hoping to extend the truce, which includes provision for an extension of one extra day for every 10 hostages Hamas is ready to free.

A senior Palestinian official familiar with negotiations taking place in Qatar has told the media that Hamas informed mediators that it is willing to extend the pause by two to four days, and that an extension could see the release of an additional 20 to 40 Israeli prisoners.

On November 25, the second batch of the release was implemented after a delay of several hours, as Hamas accused Israel of failing to adhere to what was agreed upon under the truce, regarding the entry of relief trucks into the north of Gaza.

But the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) said that there is a regular flow of trucks into Gaza strip through the Rafah crossing and more trucks are likely to reach Gaza during the ceasefire period. (IANS)

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