A Hamas source told The Washington Post today (Tuesday) that the terrorist organization has given up its demand for a complete end to the war and a complete withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip.
The source claimed that the new proposal being discussed in the negotiations for a deal includes a 60-day truce and the exchange of the Israeli hostages for the release terrorists imprisoned in Israel.
He said that the demand Hamas is doubling down on is the return of residents to northern Gaza.
Yesterday, Defense Minister Israel Katz stated during a meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, claiming that Israel is "closer than ever" to a prisoner swap-ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Katz noted that the deal will be carried out in stages and added that "The Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor will not be an obstacle to implementing a deal. There is flexibility from the other side on these issues."
Sources familiar with the details of the negotiations told the Knesset Channel this week that Hamas is experiencing difficulty, among other things, reaching all the hostages who are supposed to be released as part of the humanitarian framework of the deal.
It was also reported that the terrorist organization insists that the number of hostages included in the humanitarian phase of the deal be lower than what Israel demands, which also poses a challenge to reaching an agreement.