From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Report: Hostage deal talks reach impasse with agreement unlikely before end of Biden’s term
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Discussions to secure a hostage-ceasefire deal have reached a dead end, Arab mediators tell the Wall Street Journal.
The impasse means that is unlikely an agreement will be secured before the end of the Biden administration, the report says.
According to the mediators, the sides were mulling a 60-day truce that would see up to 30 hostages released while Israel would set free Palestinian prisoners and increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The outlet says “both parties hardened their positions,” with Israel insisting that only living hostages be freed and refusing to approve some of the Palestinian prisoners named by Hamas, while the terror group for its part returned to insisting on a path toward the end of the war sparked by its October 7 onslaught.
The mediators tell the Journal they expect both sides to return to the negotiating table after US-president elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
The Times of Israel Community.