Hamas leader says militant group ‘close’ to truce agreement with Israel

Hamas person Ismail Haniyeh has said his militant question is nearing a truce statement with Israel, much than six weeks aft its deadly battle sparked retaliatory strikes connected Gaza successful which thousands person been killed.

“We are adjacent to reaching a woody connected a truce,” Haniyeh said, and the radical has delivered its effect to Qatari mediators.

Hamas authoritative Izzat el Reshiq told Al Jazeera that ongoing talks were for a truce that would past “a fig of days” and see arrangements for the introduction of assistance successful to Gaza, and a swap of hostages taken by Hamas for radical imprisoned by Israel. Reshiq said the woody would see the merchandise of Israeli women and children from Gaza successful speech for Palestinian women and children from “occupation prisons”.

Negotiators person been moving to unafraid a woody to let the merchandise of astir 240 mostly Israeli hostages who were seized connected 7 October. Qatar, wherever Hamas has a governmental bureau and wherever Haniyeh is based, has been mediating.

Talk of an imminent statement has swirled for days. Qatar’s premier curate said connected Sunday that a woody to escaped immoderate of the hostages successful instrumentality for a impermanent ceasefire hinged connected “minor” applicable issues, portion connected Monday, US president Joe Biden said helium believed a woody to escaped the hostages was close. “I judge so,” Biden said erstwhile asked whether a hostage woody was near, and crossed his fingers.

The White House said the negotiations were successful the “endgame” stage, but refused to springiness further details, saying it could jeopardise a palmy outcome.

Observers and officials person cautioned that nationalist statements during specified negotiations are often misleading and immoderate imaginable woody could easy collapse.

“Sensitive negotiations similar this tin autumn isolated astatine the past minute,” White House lawman nationalist information advisor Jon Finer told NBC’s Meet the Press programme connected Sunday. “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”

Two sources acquainted with the latest talks told Agence France-Presse that a tentative woody included a five-day truce, comprised of a ceasefire connected the crushed and limits to Israeli aerial operations implicit confederate Gaza.

In return, betwixt 50 and 100 prisoners held by Hamas and Islamic Jihad – a abstracted Palestinian militant radical – would beryllium released. They would see Israeli civilians and captives of different nationalities, but nary subject personnel.

Under the projected deal, immoderate 300 Palestinians would beryllium released from Israeli jails, among them women and children, the sources said.

Separately, the International Committee of the Red Cross said connected Monday that its president had travelled to Qatar to conscionable Haniyeh “to beforehand humanitarian issues related to the equipped struggle successful Israel and Gaza”.

Hamas fighters killed astir 1,200 radical during their cross-border assault, astir of them civilians. In effect Israel launched a relentless bombing run and crushed offensive, vowing to destruct Hamas and unafraid the merchandise of the hostages.

According to the Hamas authorities successful Gaza, the Israeli violative has killed much than 13,300 people, thousands of them children.

Another 17 Palestinians were killed successful an Israeli bombardment of Nuseirat campy successful cardinal Gaza astatine midnight, the officials Palestinian quality bureau Wafa reported aboriginal connected Tuesday. There was nary contiguous remark from Israel.

Gaza’s Hamas-run wellness ministry besides said connected Monday that astatine slightest 12 Palestinians had been killed and dozens wounded aft a shell struck the 2nd level of the Indonesian hospital, which is surrounded by Israeli tanks.

Medics determination fearfulness the hospital, the lone 1 which up until Monday was inactive capable to dainty patients successful bluish Gaza, could endure the aforesaid destiny arsenic al-Shifa hospital, which was surrounded and raided by Israeli forces past week.

A aesculapian worker, Marwan Abdallah, said the tanks were intelligibly disposable from the infirmary windows astir 200 metres distant and that Israeli snipers could beryllium seen connected adjacent rooftops. “Women and children are terrified. There are changeless sounds of explosions and gunfire,” helium said.

Israel denied it had deed the infirmary portion unit contradict determination were immoderate equipped militants connected the premises.