Proposed hostage deal includes at least 6-week pause in hostilities: US officials
The latest proposed hostage deal includes an at least six-week pause in hostilities, during which the remaining civilian hostages in Gaza would be returned in phases, with the elderly, women and any remaining children released first, two U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News.
![PHOTO: Families of hostages and supporters hold signs during a protest to call for the immediate release of hostages outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence, in Jerusalem, Jan. 22, 2024.](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/9d24fb7c-3203-4df9-a9ad-412912d88782/israel-gaza-14-gty-gmh-240122_1705952081596_hpMain.jpg)
When the six-week truce nears the end, the framework calls for the parties to begin discussing: the return of all Israeli soldiers detained by Hamas; paving the way for all hostages in Gaza to be freed; and possibly extending the pause, the U.S. officials said.
The framework also includes the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel and additional humanitarian provisions for civilians in Gaza, the officials said.
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According to an Israeli source, Israel has rejected this current hostage and cease-fire deal on the table.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday the group is studying a proposal for a hostage and cease-fire deal that was put forward during talks this weekend in Paris. He said he would visit Egypt to discuss the plan and ways to implement it.
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Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said there is progress in the ongoing negotiations.
The White House is expressing confidence to secure the release of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas even after Israel rejected the current deal.
"The president's view is we got to continue to do everything we can to get those hostages out," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Tuesday. "We are making progress on trying to get an extended pause in place so that we can get those hostages out. And the president's not going to wait on that."
Kirby would not say if President Joe Biden was disappointed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would not release thousands of prisoners and pull troops out of Gaza as part of the deal.
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"I think we’ll let the prime minister speak for himself. There's no reason for us to change course here. We still believe that this is the right thing to do," he said.
Kirby said national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Amir Sheikh Al Thani of Qatar Tuesday to discuss the war and efforts to get a hostage deal in place. Sullivan is also meeting Tuesday with the families of hostages being held by Hamas.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford and Justin Gomez