In Israel, it is estimated that if the pace of progress in the negotiations for the release of hostages is maintained, there is a chance to reach an agreement by the end of the current month. According to a report on the 'Israel Hayom' website, a senior political figure involved in the details of the talks said that "there is a chance to reach a deal for the release of the hostages in the coming month."
The most significant progress occurred last night when the parties exchanged drafts that included the names of hostages to be released in the first phase, alongside a list of prisoners to be released from Israeli prisons.
Meanwhile, a political figure explains the reasons that caused Hamas to change its approach and shift from a stance of refusal to flexibility on most of the clauses they previously vetoed.
According to a report on the 'Maariv' website, the political source explained that "since the beginning of the war, Hamas has relied on the distance between Israel's position and the United States' position." In periods when it seemed that the distance was great, Hamas had a more defiant approach and sought to prolong the war. Today, as we approach the Trump era, they understand that they have nothing to build on. The distance between the Israeli government's perception and the Trump administration's perception seems very small, if at all.
It was also reported that another factor that caused Hamas to change its position, become more flexible, and strive for a deal is the regional picture. As long as there were many active fronts – from Hamas's perspective, it was an excellent situation. That's what Yahya Sinwar wanted. The moment Hezbollah reached a ceasefire and the northern front was disconnected from Gaza and calmed down – the situation changed.
Additionally, the change in the Iranian arena also had significant weight: "Hamas hoped for a regional war between Israel and Iran." In the meantime, it hasn't happened; so far, there has been no Iranian response. This doesn't mean it won't happen, but in the meantime, there is a calming trend in that sector as well. In October, we were closest to a regional war; today, we have moved very far from that point. This is a significant change and it definitely affects Hamas's positions.
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