Hamas has agreed to yield to two of Israel's "key demands" for a ceasefire deal in Gaza, including allowing the IDF to remain in Gaza temporarily during the pause in fighting, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Hamas has also handed over a list of hostages to Israel, including U.S. citizens, something it had not previously done, according to Arab mediators who spoke with the news outlet.
The hostages, according to the report, would be released under a “ceasefire pact,” should it be reached.
Hostage deal talks have picked up in recent days — Mossad chief David Barnea met Wednesday with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Doha to discuss the details, according to Axios.
The WSJ report comes as Israel continues its bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s defense minister on Wednesday told his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin that there is a chance now for a deal to release all the hostages held in Gaza, including U.S. citizens.
"Minister Katz updated Secretary of Defense Austin on the negotiations for the release of the hostages and said that there is now a chance for a new deal that will allow the return of all the hostages, including those with American citizenship," Katz's office said in a statement.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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