Media outlets reported, citing Israeli sources, that Tel Aviv agreed during weekend negotiations in Qatar to release 700 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the freedom of 40 Israeli hostages.
Israeli radio and television on Sunday cited high-ranking Israeli sources as confirming the agreement to release approximately 700 Palestinian prisoners, including about 100 serving life sentences, in exchange for the freedom of 40 Israeli hostages.
This new development in Hamas-Israel negotiations took place in Doha under the trilateral support of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar.
The source also stated that Israel is considering a proposal under which seven Palestinians serving life sentences would be released for each female soldier held captive by Hamas.
An Israeli official added, “On this basis, Israel will not object to the names demanded by Hamas. However, if the right to object to names is granted, more Palestinian security prisoners will be released for each female soldier.”
This comes as a simultaneous source had previously reported an agreement on the release of 40 Israelis and a six-week ceasefire.
The same source also mentioned Washington’s clear pressure on Tel Aviv through its Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to progress in the negotiations and reach an agreement within days.
According to the source, although David Barnea, the head of Mossad, and another Israeli official left Qatar last night, a negotiating team composed of senior Israeli officers remained in Doha to continue talks.
A day earlier, Al Jazeera had reported on Israel’s conditions for agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza, stating that Tel Aviv had set the release of 40 Israeli hostages as a precondition in the first phase.
The outlet had reported that Israel also requested the release of two soldiers named Golden and Haroun in exchange for the re-release of detainees in the Shalit case.
Source link : https://www.khaama.com/israel-agrees-to-release-700-palestinian-prisoners-for-40-hostages/
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Publish date : 2024-03-25 03:00:00
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