TV report: US effort to revive hostage talks focuses on one word in Israel’s proposal

Channel 12 news reports that the US effort to revive Israel-Hamas hostage-ceasefire efforts is now focused on a single word in Clause 8 of the Israeli proposal that was unveiled a month ago by US President Joe Biden, and that Hamas, according to the US, has rejected.

According to partial leaks of the Israeli proposal, Clause 8 reads: “No later than day 16 [of phase one], the commencement of indirect negotiations between the two sides to agree on the conditions for implementing stage two of this agreement, including those relating to the keys for the exchange of hostages and prisoners (soldiers and remaining men), and this should be concluded and agreed upon before the end of week five of this [first] stage.”

The TV news report says Hamas objects to the word “including,” since that suggests that all the deal’s arrangements could be subject to negotiation at this stage of the deal, and therefore Hamas wants language that specifies that “only” the so-called keys for the exchange of hostages and security prisoners would be under negotiation.

Both Israeli and Hamas officials have downplayed the prospects of revived talks this weekend.