1 of 4 | A teen walks past posters reading BRING THEM HOME NOW, for Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas, in Jerusalem on Monday. U.S. officials say Israel and Hamas are close to a cease-fire-hostage deal where 33 hostages are slated to be released in Phase 1 of the agreement. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI |
License PhotoJan. 13 (UPI) — An initial 42-day cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, being negotiated in Doha, is “on the brink” and could be finalized in the next 24 hours with the release of 33 hostages currently being held in Gaza, according to senior officials.
The emerging cease-fire deal, the first of a three-phase plan, would release initially those hostages considered humanitarian, including women, children, those who are ill and men over 55, negotiators said, according to CNN, ABC News and The Jerusalem Post.
“On the war between Israel and Hamas, we’re on the brink of a proposal that I laid out in detail months ago finally coming to fruition,” President Joe Biden said Monday during a farewell speech at the State Department.
Officials said Hamas could release at least two of the seven American citizens still being held, including Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, and Keith Siegel, 65.
While Hamas has not released the condition of the hostages, the Israeli government believes 34 are dead and that most of the 33 remaining hostages are alive. The bodies of the deceased hostages also could be released, according to officials.
Once the first phase is finalized, negotiations for the second phase and the release of the remaining hostages would begin 16 days later.
“I have learned over many years of public service to never, never, never, ever give up,” Biden said. “So, I spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday.”
The White House has been working to secure a cease-fire and hostage release before President-elect Donald Trump‘s inauguration next week.
Trump has warned Hamas repeatedly that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if the hostages are not released by the time he takes office on Jan. 20.
Members of the incoming Trump administration also are participating in the mediation process for a cease-fire as they will ultimately be in charge of making sure any deal is carried out.
“Can we get it done before the 20th? It is possible but I certainly can’t make any predictions that we will,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s State of the Nation on Sunday.
“There is a possibility that this comes together; there is also a possibility, as has happened so many times before, that Hamas, in particular, remains intransigent,” he said.
It is “in the American national security interest, regardless of party, regardless of outgoing or incoming administration to get this deal done as fast as possible,” Sullivan added.
The latest proposals for the first phase, if agreed to, call for Israeli forces to maintain a presence along the Philadelphi Corridor, which is a strip of land along the Egypt-Gaza border. Israel would also maintain a buffer zone along its border inside Gaza.
Hamas’ terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, leaving 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage. Fewer than 100 remain in Hamas captivity. Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 109,000 others.
“They’ve been through hell. So many innocent people have been killed, and so many communities have been destroyed,” Biden said Monday.
“The Palestinian people deserve peace and the right to determine their own futures. Israel deserves peace and real security,” Biden added. “And the hostages and their families deserve to be reunited. And so, we’re working urgently to close this deal.”
