3-day ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war 'nearly reached'
Israel and Hamas are on the verge of reaching a three-day ceasefire agreement, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported on Wednesday.
Egyptian sources meanwhile said that Cairo is about to achieve a humanitarian truce in Gaza involving the exchange of hostages and captives.
A source close to Hamas meanwhile said that negotiations are underway for the release of a dozen hostages held by Hamas, including six Americans, in return for a three-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
"Talks revolve around the release of 12 hostages, half of them Americans, in exchange for a three-day humanitarian pause, to enable Hamas to release the hostages and to enable Egypt an extended (period of time) to deliver humanitarian aid," the source said.
"There's disagreement around the time period and around the north (of the Gaza Strip), which is witnessing extensive combat operations," the source said.
"Qatar is awaiting an Israeli response," they added.
Earlier Wednesday, a separate source briefed on the talks said Qatar was mediating negotiations in coordination with the U.S. to free "10-15 hostages in exchange for a one- to two-day ceasefire."
Fighting has raged in Gaza for over a month following Hamas' shock October 7 attack that allegedly killed more than 1,400 Israelis and took more than 240 hostages. In Gaza, 10,569 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel's retaliatory military campaign to destroy Hamas.
Qatar has been engaged in intense diplomacy to secure the release of those held by Hamas, negotiating the handover of four hostages -- two Israelis and two Americans -- in recent weeks.
- Families welcome every release -
Following reports on the latest negotiations, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum said it welcomed "the return of each and every hostage."
However, "any move toward a ceasefire should include the release of all hostages from Gaza," the group said in a statement.
Qatar, which hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, also hosts the political office of Hamas and is the main residence of its self-exiled leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The wealthy Gulf emirate has been a fierce supporter of the Palestinian cause and has open channels of communication with Hamas, the Islamist rulers of Gaza.
Amid repeated calls for a ceasefire, Qatar has lamented the escalating violence visited on Gaza and its 2.4 million inhabitants, saying Israeli bombing undermines mediation efforts and de-escalation.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said the Gulf state was "determined to continue its mediation," despite difficulties "caused by the actions of the Israeli occupation."
The G7 grouping of economically advanced nations called on Wednesday for "humanitarian pauses and corridors" in the conflict but refrained from calling for a ceasefire during talks in Japan.
