A senior U.S. official told The Washington Post that Israel and Hamas may have reached an agreement to resolve the Middle East conflict, agreeing to a three-phase plan, with a phase two of “interim governance.” According to the official, “the framework is agreed upon” and the sides are now “negotiating the details of how it will be implemented,” a process that could take time. In Phase 2, neither Hamas nor Israel would govern Gaza. Security would be provided by a U.S.-trained force backed by moderate Arab allies, consisting of about 2,500 members of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza who have already been approved by Israel. However, Binyamin Netanyahu has played down the issue: “I am committed to the plan for the release of the hostages, but the Hamas killers are insisting on demands that contradict the plan and endanger Israel’s security,” he said. He added that, “as prime minister of Israel and out of national responsibility, I am not ready to accept such demands.”
He then reiterated the four necessary conditions: “Allow Israel to return to the fight until the objectives are achieved; no smuggling of weapons to Hamas from Egypt; no return of armed terrorists to northern Gaza; immediate release of the maximum number of live hostages.” In any case, negotiations for the truce in Gaza and the release of the hostages will resume tomorrow in Cairo, with the participation of an Israeli delegation led by the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar. The office of Benyamin Netanyahu announced that the Israeli negotiating delegation in Doha, led by the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, returned to Israel after a summit with US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators, and met with the prime minister. A source familiar with the matter revealed that “during the meeting, the details of the agreement for the return of the hostages and the modalities of implementing the plan were discussed, while guaranteeing all the objectives of the war.”
