According to the US government, the possible agreement on the release of hostages and a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza war depends solely on the Islamist Hamas.
The framework for such a deal is in place and the Israelis have “more or less accepted” it, said high-ranking US government officials in Washington. “The Israelis have fundamentally agreed to the elements of the agreement. Now the ball is in Hamas’s court.”
The US representatives emphasized that the talks were still ongoing. Significant progress has been made in the past few weeks. But there is still no agreement. The aim is still to achieve this if possible by the beginning of Ramadan. The festival period, which is particularly sacred to Muslims, begins around March 10th.
Ceasefire and hostage release
The international mediators in the Gaza war are working intensively behind the scenes to secure a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages. According to US information, a six-week ceasefire and the release of certain hostages – the sick, the injured, the elderly and women – are planned. Cautiously optimistic signals have recently come from the USA and Qatar, which together with Egypt facilitate indirect negotiations between Israel and the Islamist Hamas.
The Gaza war was triggered by an unprecedented massacre carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups in southern Israel on October 7th. On the Israeli side, more than 1,200 people were killed. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. The number of people killed there has risen to more than 30,000 since the start of the war, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority.
More than 200 people were forcibly abducted during the attack on Israel. Some of them have since been released, but dozens are still in the hands of Hamas.
