Israelis protest for the release of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip, at the Goma junction, northern Israel, Jan. 11, 2025. (Photo: Ayal Margolin/Flash90)
An Israeli delegation, including the head of the Mossad and the head of the Shin Bet, will travel to Qatar to continue and advance a deal for the release of hostages, according to a Kan News report on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Steve Witkoff, the special envoy to the Middle East of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, will arrive in Israel and meet with senior officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Prime Minister’s Office announced that a situation assessment meeting was held regarding hostages and missing persons, with the participation of the defense minister, heads of the security establishment, and negotiators representing both the outgoing and incoming U.S. administrations.
At the end of the discussion, the prime minister instructed the head of the Mossad, the head of the Shin Bet, retired Maj.-Gen. Nitzan Alon, and political advisor Ophir Falk to travel to Doha to continue advancing a deal.
The newspaper The News Arab quoted a Palestinian source involved in the details of the hostage release negotiations, stating that the circumstances of the current talks “differ from those in all previous rounds. The technical teams from all sides and mediators have finalized the agreement, and it is ready for carrying out within 24 hours of Netanyahu’s approval.”
The source also reported that, according to the draft agreement, Israel will complete its withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor on the final day of the last stage.
The first stage of the deal involves a partial withdrawal from the corridor and a reduction of forces. In the second stage, the IDF will remain at several oversight positions along the corridor, and on the last day of the third stage, there will be a complete withdrawal of the IDF from the Philadelphi Corridor.
Last night, the pro-Qatari channel The New Arab reported that mediators and Hamas officials are expecting an Israeli response within hours to the latest proposal submitted by Hamas. According to the report, Hamas presented a new message that shifted Israel’s position, bringing the negotiations the closest to an agreement so far.
This follows a report on Friday by Kan 11 News that Qatar had conveyed a positive message to Israel regarding Hamas’ intentions to advance the negotiations on a hostage deal. The message concerned the list of hostages and additional points of contention between the parties. Following the message, Netanyahu convened an urgent meeting with Defense Minister Israel Katz and the negotiation team.
According to foreign sources, Israel expressed a willingness to reach significant understandings during the humanitarian phase of the deal. The parties have reached a preliminary agreement to negotiate the second phase in parallel with the implementation of the first phase.
Similar to previous negotiations, the parties discussed the possibility of a “permanent ceasefire,” aiming to create continuity between the different stages of the deal – from the humanitarian release in the first stage to the release of all hostages in subsequent stages. Officials involved in the talks emphasized, “Without some agreement between the parties on ending the war, Hamas will not accept the deal.”
American officials involved in the negotiations told Kan, “The core of the discussions revolves around the transition from Stage A to Stage B, with an understanding that the two stages need to be linked to implement the deal. We are now waiting for the parties’ responses.” According to them, “This is the best deal Hamas will see. It is a fair deal for all parties. It is a multi-stage agreement that ensures the return of all the hostages.”
Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official on the negotiation team told hostage families this week, “We are not aware of Israeli guarantees provided by the political echelon to ensure the transition between the first and second stages.”
According to sources familiar with the details, the guarantees linking the two stages are the key that could currently lead to a deal. Israel must commit not to resume fighting, and Hamas must commit to releasing the remaining hostages in the second stage.
In recent days, Arab media has reported that Hamas is soon expected to provide Israel with a list of the living hostages it is able to release. Israeli officials stated that receiving the list would enable significant progress toward achieving a deal.
Palestinian sources familiar with the details of the negotiations told Kan that the parties are still not discussing Stage B, which is why they remain in Stage A. They said this is due to Israel’s demand to receive a list of hostages specifying who among them is alive and who is not.
Another obstacle in the negotiations, according to the sources, is that the talks are being conducted with Hamas leadership abroad and not with the leadership in the Gaza Strip. As a result, there is concern that even if the overseas leadership approves the deal, Mohammed Sinwar may decide otherwise.
Sources familiar with the details noted that Hamas is aware of the threats made by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who warned of a “hellish” response if the hostages are not released by the time he takes office. According to the sources, Hamas understands that the threat refers not only to potential actions in Gaza but also to the targeting of the organization’s leaders in various countries.
Families of hostages who spoke with Kan are hoping Israel will adopt the U.S. formulations linking the stages, ensuring that all hostages will be returned in a comprehensive deal divided into two consecutive phases.
