The secret negotiation for a three-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of at least 10 Hamas hostages

Egypt It is Qatar They are mediating so that Israel accept a temporary ceasefire in Gaza strip in exchange for the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas release at least 10 hostages, several of them from the United States.

According to information collected by the EFE agency from sources close to the secret negotiations, Egypt and Qatar are said to be mediating to achieve a one to three day ceasefire in exchange for the release of ten to fifteen hostagesabout half of them Americans.

TO LOOK: How the future of Gaza marks the first confrontation between Israel and the United States so far in the war with Hamas

As part of these negotiations, This Thursday, three of the main Hamas leaders abroad arrived in Egypt.

They met with Egyptian authorities and on Friday they will do so with those of Qatar.

The political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniye and leaders Khaled Meshal and Jalil al Hayawere received by the head of Egyptian Intelligence, Abas Kamel“to resolve the current situation in the Gaza Strip,” he said Hamas in a statement that was analyzed by EFE.

Ismail Haniye, leader of Hamas. (AFP). (-/)

As an Egyptian security source told EFE, Hamas delegation includes leaders based in Qatar and Turkeywhich will be under strict surveillance 24 hours a day, and Your movements will be “secret” and will not be disclosed.

The sources consulted by EFE reported that there are disagreements about the deadline for the ceasefire, since Hamas demands a truce of at least a week, and Israel insists that this will be for a maximum of three days.

The truce would also include permission for Egypt to deliver more humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.specified EFE.

Since the start of the war on October 7, Hamas has demanded the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners who are in Israeli prisons in exchange for the release of 240 hostages who were taken from Israel to Gaza.

In the context of the current conflict, mediation of Qatar He has already managed to free four hostages who were held by Hamas.

Egypt It has been a historical mediator of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its intelligence services usually organize mediations between Palestinian movements or between Israelis and Palestinians.

President Joe Biden speaks to the press as he leaves the South Lawn of the White House on his way to Illinois, on November 9, 2023. (EFE/EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS). (MICHAEL REYNOLDS / POOL /)

The negotiations in Egypt are being carried out in coordination with U.Sspecified EFE.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden confirmed that he pressured Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahuto take a three-day break from the fighting in Gaza and expressed frustration with some of the Israeli leader’s actions following the October 7 attack.

At Joint Base Andrews, ABC News asked Biden to confirm whether he would ask Israel for a three-day pause in removing the hostages.

Biden He replied: “Yes. “I… I asked for an even longer break.”

The president also said that Netanyahu did not complete some of the tasks asked of him, thus confirming several reports that speak of a growing divergence between the Israeli prime minister’s and Biden’s approach to the conflict, ABC News reported.

“It’s taking a little longer than I expected,” Biden added.

So far, the war has left 10,800 Palestinians dead in Gaza since the war began on October 7, following the Hamas attack on Israeli territory in which more than 1,400 people were killed.

Palestinians fleeing Gaza City and other parts of the north and south walk along a road on November 9, 2023. (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS/AFP). (MAHMUD HAMS/)

The White House reported Thursday that Israel agreed to four-hour daily breaks in northern Gaza so that civilians can evacuate to the south, in addition to taking advantage of this time for humanitarian aid to enter across the border of Egypt.

John Kirbyspokesman for the United States National Security Council, said that Israel will announce break times three hours in advance.

“The Israelis have informed us that there will be no military operations in these areas while the pause lasts,” Kirby said.

“We urge the Israelis to minimize the number of civilian casualties and to do everything possible to do so,” he declared. Kirbywho added that the pauses will provide “a respite of a few hours” for civilians to escape danger.

For your part, Richard Hechtspokesperson for Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said on Thursday that the implementation of the four-hour breaks is “not a change” in his country’s strategy and that the IDF is already “in fact doing so”. He insisted that this is an expansion of what is already happening.

“There will be no ceasefire”, but rather “local tactical pauses” for humanitarian aid, limited in time and area, four hours a day”, explained Hetch.

While the Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Galantealso commented on the topic of pauses and said: “We will not stop the fire as long as there are hostages in Gaza.”

The destruction in the Gaza Strip. (AFP).

Since Sunday, Israel organize into Link, for several hours a day, a safe “evacuation corridor” to allow civilians to leave the territory from the north to the south.

According to the Israeli army, more than 50,000 people followed this route south on Thursday, an almost identical number to the previous day.

Source: Elcomercio