Israel-Gaza Cease-Fire Talks and Hostage Release Negotiations Gain Momentum: What to Know

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Israel-Gaza Cease-Fire Talks and Hostage Release Negotiations Gain Momentum: What to Know

High-level cease-fire talks appeared to be gaining momentum on Monday as Arab and American mediators pressed for an agreement to halt the fighting in Gaza and release hostages held by ****** before President-elect Donald J. Trump assumes office on Jan. 20.

It was still unclear whether the parties had reached any resolution on central disputes that have proved insurmountable in previous rounds of negotiations.

On Monday, Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, said there was “a distinct possibility” that ****** and Israel could agree to a deal this week.

“The question is now can we all collectively seize the moment and make this happen,” he told Bloomberg in an interview.

Later on Monday, an Arab diplomat said “real progress” was being made in the talks, and two Israeli officials said a draft agreement was awaiting ******’s approval, with the next 24 hours seen as being critical. Both the diplomat and the Israeli officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.

For months, repeated rounds of talks have seen hopes rise only to be dashed days later, with both Israel and ****** blaming the other for the impasse.

If a deal is achieved, it would bring some respite to Palestinians in Gaza, who have endured ********** conditions in displacement camps and relentless bombardments by Israel, and the families of hostages taken from Israel, who have suffered for months wondering about the fate of their loved ones.

****** leaders want to bring about an end to the war in Gaza, which has severely weakened the group’s armed wing and government, led to the displacement of nearly two million people, and reduced cities to rubble. ****** officials have also said they are seeking a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the return of displaced people in the south of the enclave to the north, the entry of materials for reconstruction, and the freedom of ************ prisoners. On Monday, ****** said in a statement that ************ prisoners would be freed soon.

The parties have long been discussing an agreement that would have three stages in what Arab and American officials hope will result in the end of the war.

What are the biggest obstacles?

A major hurdle to the success of the talks has been the permanency of a cease-fire. While ****** has demanded a comprehensive end to the war, Mr. Netanyahu has said he wants a “partial” deal that will allow Israel to resume the war after freeing hostages.

Israel has been demanding vague language in the text of an agreement that leaves room for a resumption of fighting at some point, according to a ************ familiar with the matter and two Israeli officials. Mr. Netanyahu has feared that his right-wing coalition partners could take down his government and jeopardize his political future if he agrees to a deal that ends the war in Gaza, analysts say.

In an X post on Monday, Bezalel Smotrich, the Israeli finance minister, described “the emerging deal” as “a catastrophe for the national security” of Israel and declared he would not support it.

****** has not suggested that it would be willing to compromise on its demand to end the war. ****** Hamdan, a senior ****** official, told a gathering in Algeria last week that there must be “an absolute end to the aggression.”

Another hurdle has been how far into Gaza Israel will be allowed to carry out military operations in the first phase of an agreement. Israel had wanted the ability to maneuver up to 1.5 kilometers, or about a mile, into Gaza, the two Israeli officials and the ************ familiar with the matter said. ****** had wanted any incursions limited to within 500 meters of the border, according to the ************.

The Israeli officials, however, said Israel and ****** were now close to a compromise that would allow Israel to carry out military operations in the first phase of the deal up to a kilometer inside Gaza, or almost two-thirds of a mile.

Israel has demanded a list from ****** of which hostages remain alive. Without that, Israeli officials say, there can be no agreement on how many ************ prisoners Israel would be willing to release in exchange for them. As of Sunday morning, Israel had not received such a list, according to an official familiar with the matter.

Last week, ****** representatives indicated that the group had approved an Israeli list of 34 hostages to be released in the first stage of an agreement, but it did not specify how many of them were alive.

But ****** has agreed to Israel’s request to include 11 contested individuals on the list of hostages to be released in the first phase of a deal. Israel classifies these as civilians, but ****** considers them soldiers, according to the two Israeli officials and the ************. Israel is weighing ******’s demand that the 11 be treated as soldiers who would be exchanged for a higher number of ************ prisoners than those released for civilian hostages.

Ronen Bergman and Isabel Kershner contributed reporting to this article.

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