New mini-hostage deal on table that would pause Gaza war

Negotiators in Doha discussed a new partial hostage deal this week that would allow for a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of a limited number of hostages, the Jerusalem Post has learned.

The talks were held with CIA Chief William Burns, Mossad Chief David Barnea, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Thani.

They were the first such discussions to be held in two months.

The Axios news reported that the ceasefire would last for 28-days in exchange for eight hostages. A source confirmed to The Jerusalem Post said that the proposal Barnea put forward in Doha “went in this direction.”

Until the end of August, hostage negotiations had centered on a three-phase deal for the release of the 101 captives that would have seen up to 32 of them freed in exchange for a six-week pause to the war, with the remainder freed in further phases of the deal.

Mossad director David Barnea seen over a wall of hostage posters in Tel Aviv (illustrative) (credit: FLASH90)

Hamas’s execution of six hostages, including Israeli-American captive Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, at the end of August had put an end to those talks. The US had blamed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar for the absence of a deal. Israel’s assassination of Sinwar two weeks ago has given negotiators home that it might be possible to advance some kind of an agreement.

Egyptian President previously offered deal that would have seen release of only four hostages

Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday had said he was promoting a mini deal by which four hostages would be freed in exchange for a pause to the war.

Netanyahu’s Office clarified that if a proposal to release four hostages in exchange for a 48-hour ceasefire in Gaza “were made, the Prime Minister would accept it on the spot.”

In a close-door meeting Netanyahu told the Likud faction on Monday that he believed that while a full deal was not possible, a partial one could be attainable and that this was the direction of the talks at this time.

“Hamas is putting forward conditions that we can’t agree to,” Netanyahu said, adding that it now seemed that “those conditions could be rescinded.

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“If they are retracted, it won’t be because Hamas wants to retract them, but because there would be a pause to the war” that would allow for Hamas to leave the tunnels where they have been hiding, he said.

“That is what we are discussing right now, and it’s possible we could succeed,” Netanyahu said.

He spoke during a closed-door meeting, but a leaked tape of the conversation was published by KAN News.