The official Israeli radio reported that the Prime Minister did not want to hold a meeting of the mini-ministerial team to discuss the prisoner deal, before receiving a response from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), while former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen called for accelerating the conclusion of the deal.

The Israeli Prime Minister - according to the radio - fears that the differences will deepen and information about the position on the deal will leak. Channel 12 also quoted a senior political and security official as saying that the decision regarding concluding the prisoner deal is in the hands of the leaders of Hamas and the Al-Qassam Brigades in the Gaza Strip.

In the same context, former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen called for a single deal that includes all detainees still in Gaza. He also called on officials to stop publicly criticizing Qatar, which plays the role of mediator to conclude an agreement, and called on them to act wisely.

Cohen said - in an interview with Israeli Army Radio - that Qatar is the only country that can mediate an exchange agreement at the present time, stressing that criticizing it publicly by Israeli officials is wrong.

The former Mossad chief explained that Israel will have to pay a heavy price to complete the exchange deal, and added, "Therefore, let us pay it today from the beginning (to release) everyone and shorten the period of hostage-holding in Gaza."

Many statements issued by Israeli officials reflect the extent of the division in the corridors of the government and politicians regarding the expected exchange deal. Opposition leader Yair Lapid stated that the deal will be painful, but the detainees must be returned.

But Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu indicated that their release was not obligatory, and said, “Jewish morality does not hold us fully responsible for the release of the kidnapped.”

"We have to get out of the mental stagnation that the deal is the only way to release the kidnapped people," Eliyahu said.

Hamas conditions

Hamas leader Osama Hamdan announced yesterday, Saturday, that the movement had received a general framework for a possible deal with Israel, stressing that its decision is contingent on reaching a halt to the aggression, withdrawing the occupation forces, lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip, and guaranteeing the right of the Palestinians to self-determination and establishing their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Hamdan confirmed - in a press conference from Beirut - that Hamas is open to everything that would stop the aggression and provide relief to the residents of the besieged Strip, at a time when Benjamin Netanyahu’s government continues to obstruct all initiatives.

He explained that Hamas is examining the general framework that was discussed at the Paris meeting, and is focusing on bringing the negotiations to a complete end to the aggression, withdrawing the occupation forces out of the Gaza Strip, lifting the siege on it completely, providing shelter for the displaced, reconstruction, completing a serious prisoner exchange deal, and the world’s recognition of the Palestinians’ right to Self-determination and the establishment of a fully sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Hamdan praised the efforts of Egypt and Qatar aimed at stopping the aggression against the Gaza Strip, stressing that Hamas “will be where the interest of the people is.” He said that the priority is to alleviate the suffering of the residents of the Gaza Strip and protect the Palestinians in the West Bank, as well as protecting the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the holy sites, and the Palestinians’ right to return and independence.

He also said that Hamas is in constant communication and consultation with all factions of the Palestinian forces, especially its field partners and comrades in arms, adding, "We commend all national positions that expressed unity and support for the resistance."

Mediation efforts

Efforts and calls have intensified - over the past few days - to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, amid cautious optimism towards concluding an exchange deal for prisoners and detainees between Hamas and Israel.

Last Thursday, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said that the Hamas movement had received the ceasefire proposal in a positive atmosphere, awaiting its response.

In an interview organized by the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Al-Ansari expressed his hope that “the coming days will witness good news regarding the truce, even if the situation is volatile.” He added that efforts will now focus on the form of the humanitarian truce, although there are many details that must be discussed.

He pointed out that "optimism is present in light of the two parties' agreement on the hypothesis that will lead to the next truce, but the mediators still have a difficult road ahead of them."

Qatari mediation - with Egyptian-American support - succeeded in reaching a temporary humanitarian truce on November 24, which lasted for a week during which 240 Palestinian prisoners were released from occupation prisons in exchange for the release of more than 100 detainees held by the resistance in Gaza, including about 80 Israelis. .