A delegation of Hamas officials is scheduled to meet with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in Cairo on Wednesday to explore a potential truce-for-hostages deal, as confirmed by a Hamas representative.
The proposal, brokered by Qatar, involves three stages: the release of hostages held by Hamas since October 7 in exchange for an undetermined number of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. The truce would be phased, starting with the release of civilians, then soldiers, and finally the bodies of those killed in captivity. Both sides must commit to halting military operations during each stage. Hamas seeks a permanent ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners, insisting on a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza for successful negotiations.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has expressed the seriousness of the negotiations by announcing his visit to Cairo to discuss the potential deal, marking his first public trip to Egypt in over a month. The upcoming talks will address the duration of the ceasefire during the first stage and the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for the hostages. According to a separate report, Hamas may demand the release of 100-250 Palestinian prisoners for each IDF soldier it releases. Egypt anticipates an agreement on deal details between Israel and Hamas by early next week.
In response to reports suggesting significant Israeli concessions, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s office issued a statement denying any agreement on the release of security prisoners. Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s position that the war will only end when all its goals are achieved, emphasizing that the IDF will not withdraw from Gaza, and thousands of terrorists will not be released. During a visit to the Bnei David military academy, Netanyahu vowed not to remove the IDF from Gaza and declared that the only outcome would be “absolute victory” in the war against Hamas.
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is expected to meet US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to discuss the ongoing Gaza war and efforts to secure the release of hostages. The visit will be followed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s sixth trip to Israel since October 7, scheduled from February 3 to February 5. Israel’s war cabinet, after a positive meeting on the hostage deal outline, plans to reconvene on Thursday for further discussions.
{Matzav.com Israel}
