The United States announced on Sunday that multilateral talks held in Paris have led to an “understanding” about a potential agreement involving Hamas releasing hostages and a new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
An Israeli delegation led by Mossad Chief David Barnea visited the French capital on Friday to discuss an agreement that includes a new ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN, “Representatives from Israel, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar met in Paris and reached an understanding among the four countries on the basic contours of a hostage agreement for a temporary ceasefire.”
He added that the agreement is “still being negotiated in detail. Discussions with Hamas through Qatar and Egypt must be held because ultimately they will have to agree to release the hostages.”
Sullivan expressed hope that “in the coming days we can reach a point where there is actually a coherent and final agreement on this issue.”
Egyptian media reported on Sunday that ceasefire negotiations have resumed in Doha among the four countries, along with representatives from Hamas.
During Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7th, about 250 hostages were taken to Gaza, 130 of whom are still there, with Israel believing that 30 of the hostages have died.
As with the previous ceasefire that lasted a week in November, allowing the release of over 100 hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States are leading efforts to reach a new agreement.
International pressure for a ceasefire has escalated in recent weeks as the death toll from the Israeli military assault on the Palestinian enclave approaches 30,000, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
