Israeli forces continue to pound what it says are Hamas targets — but behind the scenes, the two sides appear to be talking through intermediaries. Mediators from U.S. and Qatar have been working for weeks to broker a deal on the release of hostages and a potential pause in the fighting. The Washington Post is reporting that an agreement is done and could come into effect within the next several days.
Some of the details are still being worked out, but it would reportedly mean Hamas would release 50 hostages. In return, Israel would freeze combat operations for five days and allow more aid into Gaza. The Qatari prime minister said Sunday there have been ups and downs in the negotiations, but that he’s confident the two sides are close to a deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still saying he won’t buckle to international pressure for a ceasefire, but he has also been under pressure at home. There have been several rallies this weekend calling on Netanyahu to free the hostages.
If there’s a deal, it would mean a pause in fighting that would open the flow of aid into Gaza. If there isn’t a deal, it looks more and more likely that Israel’s preparing to expand its ground offensive into southern Gaza. Global’s Mike Armstrong reports.
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