Talks to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas are 90 per cent complete, but key issues remain that need to be bridged, a senior Palestinian official involved in the talks told the BBC.
The Palestinian official shared details of the discussions being held in Doha which include the potential creation of a buffer zone several kilometres wide along the length of Israel’s border with Gaza.
Israel would retain a military presence within this area. With these issues resolved, a three-stage ceasefire could be agreed within days, the official said.
The deal would include an exchange of 20 Palestinian prisoners for every female soldier released in the first of three stages of the ceasefire. These are not thought to include the senior Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, whose release Israel is expected to veto.
Israeli hostages would be released in stages, as it is believed that Hamas still need to locate some of the missing hostages. Of 96 hostages still held in Gaza, 62 are assumed by Israel to still be alive.
Gazan civilians would be able to return to the north, under a system with Egyptian/Qatari oversight, and there would be around 500 trucks per day bringing aid into the strip, the official said.
