Hamas and Israel: Where is the breakthrough in hostage negotiations?

Hamas and Israel: Where is the breakthrough in hostage negotiations?

Despite intensive negotiations between Israel and Hamas about a ceasefire, there has been no decisive breakthrough. An Israeli representative exposed the explosive situation and announced that no progress can be expected without a specific offer of a hostage list from Hamas. The exchange of hostages with Palestinian prisoners will continue to be taught by the United States, Egypt and Qatar. In particular, the Israeli delegation still stays in Qatar to find solutions, such as Kleine Zeitung reported.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the upcoming conversations and stated that there are “certain progress” in the negotiations on the release of around 100 hostages that are still in the Gaza Strip. However, many of these hostages seem to be in mortal danger. In the meantime, the mother of a hostage of Netanyah criticized the point of view and warned that a deal can hardly come about as long as the war lasts. The exact conditions for the future stationing of Israeli troops as well as the exact prisoners who are to be released in exchange remain controversial, such as reported.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas tightened after an unexpected attack by Hamas in southern Israel, in which 1200 people were killed. The Israeli military reaction was violent: over 45,300 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war, and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has been catastrophic. The population suffers from a lack of water, food and medical care and many people are homeless. The current negotiations to terminate the conflict are therefore not only politically explosive, but are also characterized by enormous humanitarian challenges.