Report: Israel submitted plan to hostage deal negotiators for buffer zone along Gaza border

Israel has submitted a plan to Doha mediators detailing Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip during and after the various phases of a potential hostage-ceasefire deal, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reports.

London-based Qatari news outlet says Israel has requested a buffer zone of around a kilometer and a half along the Gazan border that will remain under Israeli control. Previously a 300 meter area had been considered a buffer zone – while there was no Israel Defense Forces presence there, there was an understanding that troops would fire on those who entered.

The report says agreement has been reached on the various areas from which the IDF will withdraw in the first and second phases of the deal, noting that the cautious optimism from the United States stems from the fact that the current formulation for an agreement would see all hostages and agreed-upon Palestinian prisoners released in the first two stages.

The report says topics still under discussion include the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released and where those serving severe sentences would be released to. Israel has said it needs to know how many of the hostages are alive before it agrees to a figure.

However, the outlet says that agreements have been reached on the management of humanitarian aid within the Strip.