Since once again the issue of Gaza ceasefire and a hostage deal is coming back to the “table”, I want to remind everyone what Hamas agreed to on September 10th. This agreement was conveyed to me by a member of the Hamas negotiating team with the support, according to him, of the entire Hamas leadership. It is a comprehensive deal and should lead the mediators, including the United States, to avoid once again creating convoluted, complex proposals that will take months to implement and include too many exit points from the agreement. The agreement should be simple and fast, as was agreed in September. It should be something like this:
In three weeks’ time:
1.? ?The war in Gaza will end. Both sides obligate themselves to refrain from all aggressive actions against the other.
2.? ?Israel will withdraw from all of Gaza.
3.? ?In 3-5 days after the ceasefire begins, Hamas will provide the mediators with a full list of all of the Israeli and foreign hostages and their condition.
4.? ?Hamas will release all of the 101 hostages within the 3-week period.
5.? ?Israel will release an agreed number and list of Palestinian prisoners in coordination with the release of the hostages.
6.? ?Hamas agrees that it will no longer govern Gaza and that a professional technocrat government will take over all governance in Gaza and Hamas will not be part of that government.
7.? ?The new Palestinian government in Gaza will form a security force under its authority.
This is what can and should be in any agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza and to return the hostages.
