Great optimism: Possible deal for Gaza ceasefire and hostage release |
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Great optimism: Possible deal for Gaza ceasefire and hostage release 13/1/2025 (See translation in Arabic section) Sydney - Middle East Times Int'l: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Sunday that he had spoken with US President Joe Biden about progress in negotiations on a ceasefire agreement in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages. An Israeli official said that Netanyahu had summoned two prominent critics of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement to meetings on Sunday to discuss a possible deal, while Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had earlier rejected a peace proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden in May of last year, which would have combined the release of hostages with a full ceasefire in Gaza, according to CNN. Both ministers rejected the idea of an immediate ceasefire, and called for the fighting to continue until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages are returned. The two far-right ministers have previously threatened to resign and bring down Netanyahu’s ruling coalition if Biden’s proposal is accepted. The meetings with the two Israeli government ministers on Sunday come at a time when Israeli negotiators have expressed “cautious optimism” about the ongoing talks in Doha this week, in which a high-level Israeli delegation including Mossad chief David Barnea is participating. |