According to several Israeli sources, the proposed ceasefire would last several days and would include the release of several dozens of hostages from both sides, in addition to allowing the entry of aid into the besieged Gaza strip.
According to emerging details from the still not finalized hostage release deal, various sources have relayed different sets of information regarding the hostage deal specifications.
The tentative agreement, subject to change, includes a four to five-day truce with a complete ceasefire on the ground and an end to Israeli air operations over Gaza, with the possible exception of a daily six-hour halt in the north.

According to a report on The Jerusalem Post, the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would last five days, and 40 child and 13 female hostages will be released from Hamas captivity, a political source stated.

However a Haaretz report stipulated four days of pause in fighting, the deal would see the release of 50 women and children hostages by Hamas, with Israel releasing 150 Palestinian prisoners, primarily women and children. Israel would allow 300 aid trucks to enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing.

The pause could be extended another still-undetermined number of days if both parties agree to a similar 3:1 prisoner / hostage exchange ratio, according to same report.

Other sources said the deal could potentially lead to the release of 50 to 100 Israeli civilians and foreign hostages, excluding military personnel, in exchange for around 300 Palestinians, including women and minors, being freed from Israeli jails.

It remains unclear whether the final deal would include a daily six-hour pause in Israeli surveillance flights over northern Gaza. CNN had reported earlier on Tuesday, that Israel had agreed to not fly drones for six hours a day, during the cease-fire.

Officials familiar with the matter insist that the deal would not be final until it is officially agreed upon.

(Said Khatib, AFP)

Gaza has been under siege with minimal supplies and where large areas have been flattened by thousands of air strikes.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh signaled on Tuesday that a truce agreement with Israel is on the horizon, potentially leading to the release of dozens of people taken hostage during the October 7 attack.

A foreign ministry spokesman in Qatar, a key mediator, stated that negotiations are at a “critical and final stage,” reaching the closest point to a deal.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to destroy Hamas, met with families of hostages on Monday but remained tight-lipped about a potential breakthrough.

US President Joe Biden indicated optimism about an impending deal, with his national security spokesman, John Kirby, stating, “We believe we’re closer than we’ve ever been, so we’re hopeful.”

Speculation intensified as Qatar mentioned only “minor” practical issues remaining for a deal, and the International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed its president’s meeting with Haniyeh in Qatar.

Khalil Wakim, with AFP