Report: A major achievement for Israel in the hostage release deal

An Arab source familiar with the negotiations for the hostage deal says that unlike in the past, Hamas does not demand a full withdrawal of the IDF and does not condition the ceasefire on the completion of additional stages in the deal.

According to the report on the i24NEWS website, the official clarified that "the organization is talking about the first stage of an agreement that is not related to additional stages." He added: "As part of this phase, Hamas is offering a 'partial payment' which includes a temporary and limited ceasefire. They do not demand the withdrawal of the IDF but rather its redeployment outside densely populated areas. The main thing here is that Hamas does not necessarily link this to an additional stage."

Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official estimates that the negotiations to reach the deal will be completed by Hanukkah. According to a report on the 'Israel Hayom' website, the official made these remarks during the security cabinet meeting held this evening. According to him, the implementation of the deal will take place over an extended period and is expected to be carried out before the end of Joe Biden's term as President of the United States.