Significant Progress in Gaza Ceasefire Talks Based on ‘Gradual Deal’

An Israeli woman participates in a march demanding the expedited release of hostages held by Hamas in Tel Aviv on Friday (Reuters)
An Israeli woman participates in a march demanding the expedited release of hostages held by Hamas in Tel Aviv on Friday (Reuters)
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Significant Progress in Gaza Ceasefire Talks Based on ‘Gradual Deal’

An Israeli woman participates in a march demanding the expedited release of hostages held by Hamas in Tel Aviv on Friday (Reuters)
An Israeli woman participates in a march demanding the expedited release of hostages held by Hamas in Tel Aviv on Friday (Reuters)

Talks on prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, set to continue in the coming days in Paris, have witnessed proposed plans for a phased deal, delaying disputed issues till later, insider sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Mediators received positive signals, indicating that Hamas is open to postponing tough decisions to later stages, the sources affirmed.

The newly proposed framework includes a six-week pause in the conflict and the release of between 200 and 300 Palestinians from Israeli prisons in exchange for 35 to 40 hostages still held by Hamas.

“Efforts are on for a gradual comprehensive deal, with the first phase expected before Ramadan. Talks for the second and third phases will address complex issues like prisoner numbers and Israeli army withdrawal,” sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Hamas is flexible but firm on its demands,” they noted, adding that the Palestinian group “insists on residents returning to the north in the second phase and discussing an end to the war in the third, which must include an agreement on prisoner releases.”

Sources reveal Hamas’ flexibility aims to secure a deal before Ramadan, averting a Rafah incursion and countering Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s argument against a full ceasefire due to his government’s extremist elements.

The approach focuses on ending the conflict gradually, not all at once.

Adaptability shown by Hamas has paved the way for genuine talks and a proposed new framework.

Israeli officials, speaking to local media, praised the Paris talks for their progress, surpassing expectations.

The Paris discussions involved CIA Director William Burns, Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, and Israeli Mossad chief David Barnea.

The head of Egyptian intelligence arrived in Paris after meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Cairo recently.

Haniyeh stated that Hamas has been cooperating positively with mediators to stop the attacks, lift the blockade, allow aid, shelter, and reconstruction.

Negotiations are currently focused on four key Hamas demands that Israel opposes: the return of northern Gaza residents, withdrawal of Israeli forces, ceasefire terms, and the number of prisoners to be released.

Israeli reports suggest flexibility on aid and ceasefire duration but disagreement on ending the war.



Netanyahu Says Israel Is Establishing a New Security Corridor across Gaza

An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)
An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)
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Netanyahu Says Israel Is Establishing a New Security Corridor across Gaza

An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)
An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is establishing a new security corridor across the Gaza Strip.

In a statement on Wednesday, he described it as the Morag corridor, using the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, suggesting it would run between the two southern cities.

His comments came as Palestinian officials at hospitals inside Gaza said Israeli strikes overnight and into Wednesday had killed more than 40 people, nearly a dozen of them children.

The Israeli government has long maintained a buffer zone just inside Gaza along its security fence and has greatly expanded since the war against Hamas began in 2023. Israel says the buffer zone is needed for its security, while Palestinians view it as a land grab that further shrinks the narrow coastal territory, home to around 2 million people.