Israel, Hamas ceasefire talks are ongoing. Here are the main points of the draft deal
CBC
Qatari mediators have sent Israel and Hamas a draft proposal for an agreement to halt the fighting in the Gaza Strip and exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners as a first step toward an end to the 15-month-old war.
A week before U.S. president-elect Donald Trump takes over from President Joe Biden, officials said a breakthrough had been achieved in talks in Doha and agreement could be near.
However, many details about the implementation of a ceasefire remain to be agreed upon, and officials on all sides have said that a deal has not yet been reached.
Here are the main points from the draft, according to an Israeli official and a Palestinian official. Hamas has not provided any details.
In the first stage, 33 hostages would be set free. These include children, women including female soldiers, men above 50, wounded and sick. Israel believes most are alive but has had no official confirmation from Hamas.
Israel will not fully withdraw its troops until all the hostages have been returned but there will be a phased pullback, with Israeli forces remaining in the border perimeter to defend Israeli border towns and villages.
There would be a significant increase of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, where international bodies including the UN say the population is facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
Israel allows aid into the enclave but there have been disputes over the amount allowed in as well as the amount that reaches people in need, with looting by criminal gangs an increasing problem.
Who will run Gaza after the war is one of the unknowns of the negotiations. It appears that the current round of talks left the issue out of the proposal because of its complexity and the likelihood it would hold up a limited deal.
Israel has said it will not end the war leaving Hamas in power. It has also rejected administration of Gaza by the Palestinian Authority, the Western-backed body set up under the Oslo interim peace accords three decades ago that exercises limited sovereignty in the occupied West Bank.
Israel has also said from the beginning of its military campaign in Gaza that it will retain security control over the enclave after the fighting ends.
The international community has said Gaza must be run by Palestinians, but efforts to find alternatives to the main factions among civil society or clan leaders have proved largely fruitless.
However, there have been discussions between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the U.S. over a provisional administration that would run Gaza until a reformed Palestinian Authority is able to take charge.
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