An Israeli official, previously skeptical about negotiations, confirmed this week that progress has been made in talks aimed at securing the release of Israeli hostages held by the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip.
Additionally, a source familiar with the negotiations told Israel Hayom that talks to formulate a hostage release deal are expected to be completed by Hanukkah at month's end, with the implementation spread over an extended period.
The main point of contention between Israel and Hamas remains the number of hostages to be released during the deal. A source privy to the details indicated that Israel is still awaiting Hamas' responses regarding both the framework of the deal and the organization's ability to secure the release of hostages it commits to as part of the agreement.
According to the source, Israel will evaluate its next steps after Hamas presents a list of hostages it can release. "The ball is in their court," the source said.
Despite the gaps between the parties, the message received from mediators has sparked more cautious optimism compared to the past. In the same optimistic tone, Saudi news channel Al Arabiya quoted a senior Hamas official saying there has been "unprecedented progress in negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire."
As of Dec. 16, 100 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with 36 having been declared dead.
