Israel approved plans to withdraw soldiers from the besieged Gaza Strip, after advancements in prisoner exchange negotiations with Hamas, according to a report.
The Haaretz newspaper said the military authorized several plans for the swift withdrawal of forces from Gaza in response to progress in the talks.
It examined options, including withdrawing troops through the Netzarim Corridor, which divides Gaza into two.
Despite having established extensive infrastructure and positions in the region, the military announced it could “evacuate” forces, emphasizing its readiness to implement any agreement reached by the government and the Palestinian resistance group, including a rapid troop pullback from Gaza.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office revealed earlier that a delegation, led by Mossad chief David Barnea and Ronen Bar, chief of the Shin Bet internal security service, will travel to Qatar to continue negotiations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met before the announcement with Steve Witkoff — US President-elect Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East.
Yedioth Ahronoth daily also reported that 90% of the details of a prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas have been finalized, citing political sources.
The sources claimed that the main sticking point between the two parties is that Hamas wants “guarantees” that Israel implements the second phase of the deal and links it with the first phase.
The newspaper added that Hamas is concerned that Netanyahu may resume war after completion of the deal’s first phase.
Hamas has also announced the completion of a draft agreement for a Gaza Strip cease-fire deal, pending approval from Israel, signaling potential progress in efforts to end hostilities.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian resistance group, Jihad Taha, told the London-based pan-Arab news outlet, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed TV, that mediators finalized a draft outlining the terms for a cease-fire and a prisoner exchange.
He noted they were awaiting Netanyahu’s representative in Doha to approve the arrangements and sign the deal.
Cease-fire talks have reportedly advanced positively, with Qatar-based Al Araby TV citing Hamas officials who said negotiations are nearing conclusion. The next few hours are described as pivotal for finalizing the agreement.
Al Araby TV added under the draft’s initial phase, Israel would withdraw from specific points, including the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza and parts of the Philadelphi Corridor — a buffer zone on the border of Gaza and Egypt. A week after the cease-fire begins, prisoners would be released, and Israel would retreat from the agreed areas.
Qatar, Egypt and the US are expected to hold a news conference to reveal the details, implementation schedule and start date, it noted.
US President Joe Biden confirmed Thursday that progress had been made on an agreement.
The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 46,500 victims, most of them women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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