01/12/2024–|Last updated: 12/1/202405:45 (Mecca time)
The White House said Saturday evening that a deal is currently on the table to stop the war and increase humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, noting that there is a “significant opportunity” to reach an agreement, as ‘said President Joe Biden. last week.
This comes as Israeli media sources report that Israel’s security establishment believes it has reached a stage where it can end the war in Gaza and return detainees.
The White House confirmed that “President Biden will continue to work to reach an agreement to free our citizens through diplomacy and by pressuring Hamas (the Islamic Resistance Movement) with sanctions.”
He added: “We will use legal and other measures to put pressure on Hamas. The war in Gaza could end tomorrow and could have ended months ago if it had agreed to release the hostages. “
Possible solutions
On the other hand, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported – citing anonymous sources – that the security establishment in Israel believes it has reached a stage where it can end the war in Gaza and return the detainees.
The newspaper reported that the negotiating team was working tirelessly to create conditions and find possible solutions to the prisoner exchange agreement.
She also stressed that there will be no basis for a swap deal if the Israeli government does not make a decision to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
Families of prisoners
Meanwhile, the mother of Israeli soldier captured in Gaza, Idan Alexander, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured her that conditions were ripe to reach a prisoner exchange deal.
The prisoner’s mother, whose video was released by the Al-Qassam Brigades, added that this is what all Israelis want.
She addressed Netanyahu, saying: “I am speaking to you, Netanyahu, on behalf of myself, on behalf of my family and on behalf of all the Israeli people. You must keep the promise you made to me, because the eyes are now only looking in your direction and waiting for you to make a courageous decision.
Meanwhile, thousands of people demonstrated in several locations across Israel to demand a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, including in Haifa in the north, Beersheba in the south and the city of Jerusalem.
The demonstrations took place at the invitation of the Prisoners’ Families Committee, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the conclusion of the first exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel.
The Haaretz newspaper said thousands of people, including released prisoners, took part in a demonstration in downtown Tel Aviv and raised slogans demanding an immediate exchange deal.
The prisoners’ families accused Netanyahu of obstructing the deal for political reasons and called for an end to the war in Gaza.
Families of Israeli prisoners have said the way to return their children to Gaza is through ending the war as part of a deal.
She added – during a press conference in Tel Aviv – that Netanyahu and Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich want to establish settlements on the heads of Israeli prisoners in Gaza, noting that it is Netanyahu who is obstructing the exchange agreement and rejects it.
Block deal
It should be noted that the opposition, the prisoners’ families and much of the Israeli street accuse Netanyahu of obstructing the conclusion of a deal with Hamas to return the prisoners and end the war, for fear of the collapse of his government amid threats from the Israeli authorities. extremist ministers will withdraw from the government coalition if this happens.
With American support, since October 7, 2023, Israel has committed a genocide in the Gaza Strip which has left more than 149,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, mostly children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, in a context of massive destruction and famine which killed dozens of people. children and the elderly, in one of humanity’s worst disasters.
Israel continues its massacres, ignoring the UN Security Council resolution to immediately end them, as well as orders from the International Court of Justice to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation there. Gaza.