Gaza ceasefire talks 90% complete, Palestinian official tells BBC

Talks to reach a Gaza ceasefire and the release of prisoners between Israel and Hamas are 90% complete, but major issues remain to be resolved, a Palestinian official involved in the talks told the BBC.

One of the most important is the continued presence of Israeli forces in the Philadelphi Street, the most important point in southern Gaza on the border with Egypt.

The Palestinian Authority shared details of the ongoing talks in Doha which include the establishment of a buffer zone several kilometers along the Israeli-Gaza border.

Israel will maintain a military presence in the region, the official said.

Once these issues are resolved, a three-part deal could be agreed within days, he added.

The deal would include an exchange of 20 Palestinian prisoners for every female soldier released in the first of three phases of the ceasefire.

The names of the prisoners have not yet been approved but have been chosen from about 400 names of those who have been in prison for 25 years or more in Israel.

This is not thought to include Fatah’s top leader Marwan Barghouti, whose release Israel is expected to vote on.

Israeli prisoners have been released gradually, as it is believed that Hamas still needs to find some of the missing.

Of the 96 hostages still in Gaza, 62 are believed by Israel to be still alive.

Gazan civilians can return to the north, according to the plan supervised by Egypt / Qatar, and there are about 500 trucks a day that bring aid along the line, said the official.

In the final phase of the three-phase plan, which will see the end of the 14-month war, Gaza will be overseen by a committee of technocrats from the enclave, who will not have the previous politicians but will be supported by all. Palestinian groups.

In recent weeks, the US, Qatar and Egypt have resumed their mediation efforts and expressed the willingness of both sides to reach an agreement.

Round-table talks in mid-October failed to produce an agreement, with Hamas rejecting a request for a temporary ceasefire.

Hamas and two other Palestinian militant groups have said that reaching an agreement to end the war in Gaza is “closer than ever” unless Israel “stops implementing new measures”.

In a statement to the Telegraph on Saturday, the group said it held a meeting in Cairo on Friday for ongoing talks with representatives of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza, carried out an unprecedented attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. At least 1,200 people were killed and 251 were kidnapped.

More than 100 hostages were released through negotiations or rescue operations by Israeli forces.