Israel has reportedly conveyed to Hamas through mediators that the ongoing ceasefire agreement can remain in place if the terror group releases three more hostages by Saturday.
According to a report by the Israeli news site Walla, the message follows conflicting statements from Israeli officials regarding the number of hostages Hamas must release for the ceasefire to hold.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously stated that the truce would end if hostages were not freed by Saturday noon but did not specify an exact number.
A senior Israeli official told Walla, "We are working hard with the mediators to get the deal back on track." As of Wednesday, the agreement appeared less at risk of collapse than earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, Egyptian sources quoted by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed indicated that negotiations were moving toward a breakthrough following a meeting between Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad and a Hamas delegation in Cairo.
Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff have reportedly resolved some outstanding issues, including approval for international organizations to deliver fuel and medical supplies to Gaza.
However, Israel has yet to approve the entry of additional caravans and tents for displaced Gazans. If approval is granted by Thursday, Hamas is expected to announce the names of three hostages to be released the following day.
Earlier this week, Hamas suspended hostage releases, accusing Israel of violating the terms of the deal by restricting certain aid items.
During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Netanyahu stated that discussions on the second phase of the hostage agreement were premature while the fate of the first stage remained uncertain.
"There is no point in discussing the second phase because it is just a hypothetical issue at the moment," he was quoted as saying by Channel 13 News.
The second phase is expected to involve Hamas releasing all remaining living hostages in exchange for an end to hostilities.
The current ceasefire agreement, now three weeks old, temporarily halted hostilities that began after Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
Under the agreement, Hamas is required to release all hostages in exchange for the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners and a cessation of Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Channel 12 reported that far-right Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Orit Strock pushed for Israel to re-arrest hundreds of Palestinian prisoners released under the truce if Hamas fails to release the three hostages on Saturday.
Security officials rejected the proposal, warning that such an action could endanger the lives of the remaining hostages. The cabinet ultimately decided against the move.
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