Israeli officials believe that the last phase of the negotiations toward a hostage deal with Hamas will see a rapid pace, which would allow a deal to be concluded within days.
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Mossad chief David Barnea returned on Saturday from Paris, and for the first time in weeks, he reported progress and optimism regarding the continuation of the deal.
According to officials involved in the matter, the emerging framework is along the lines formulated in the first round of negotiations in Paris several weeks ago. It envisions a three-stage deal. First, about 40 captive civilians will be released in exchange for a month and a half ceasefire in Gaza as well as the release of many (unknown number) of prisoners from Israeli jails.
In the next stage, the soldiers are supposed to be released. The third stage will see the return of the bodies held by Hamas. Official sources refuse to say how many prisoners are likely to be released as part of the deal, as this issue lies at the heart of the ongoing talks.
If the War Cabinet approves the principles agreed upon by Barnea, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will green-light another round of talks with the mediators to be held as early as the coming days.
The assumption is that in that round, progress will be made regarding the details of the deal such as the ratio of prisoners per hostage, the duration of the ceasefire, and the identity of those released.
Alongside the progress made in Paris, an Israeli source emphasized that caution must be maintained and that there was no certainty that a deal would be achieved, as the negotiations themselves have not yet begun.
There is a desire on all sides to move quickly, especially with American pressure to complete the negotiations within two weeks and before the holy month of Ramadan. The recent developments are the result of progress in the war, as well as Netanyahu's firm stance not to engage in talks without compromise on the part of Hamas especially due to Qatari pressure exerted on Hamas to release the captives (and above all the US).
Video: Six facts about the Israel-Hamas war in 90 seconds / X/@idf
A source involved in the details of the negotiations told Israel Hayom that the numbers published in the media were incorrect, as agreements have not yet been reached with Hamas on these sensitive aspects.
It should be noted that according to the mediators that Hamas' leaders abroad have been in contact with Yahya Sinwar. According to the mediators, the dialogue with the Hamas leader was proceeding at a very slow pace due to the conditions of war, but the reports of the two Hamas leaderships not being in touch were incorrect.
Another senior official said: "We are still far from a deal but Hamas has come down from some of its demands following the hardening of Prime Minister Netanyahu's positions." Following the progress, the War Cabinet is meeting this evening to discuss the continuation of contacts.
Meanwhile, Palestinian sources said that Hamas was waiting to hear from the Egyptian and Qatari mediators about the degree of Israel's seriousness in reaching a "real deal".
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