Israeli sources say Hamas rejecting framework of hostage deal agreed in Paris

Senior Israeli officials tell Hebrew media that there is mounting pessimism that Hamas will agree to a hostage deal laid out in a framework proposed by mediators.

Both Channel 12 and the Kan public broadcaster quote a senior official as saying that they were told that the framework worked out in Paris by the US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators “doesn’t correspond with Hamas demands.”

Channel 12 also quotes Mossad director David Barnea as telling the cabinet that if Israel does not significantly manage to increase the amount of aid flowing into Gaza, the possibility of a deal will be destroyed.

The reports come after Israel sent a delegation to Qatar to continue working on the details of a potential agreement with Hamas that would see dozens of hostages released from Gaza in exchange for an extended truce in the war in the coastal Strip.

The Ynet news site quotes senior Israeli officials as saying that there has been no progress so far in the Doha talks, but that they were still working on them.

“There is no progress at the moment,” Ynet quotes the officials as saying. “There are very big gaps between the sides and [mediators] are trying to bridge them. We continue to work to achieve a result.”

The Paris framework reportedly involves Hamas releasing 40 hostages including, women, children, female soldiers, and elderly and ill abductees in exchange for a six-week pause in fighting and Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian terror convicts.