Hamas clashed with Israeli forces attempting to enter Gaza’s largest refugee camp on Sunday, and witnesses reported Israeli airstrikes in the south causing the deaths of numerous Palestinians. A US media report on a potential hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas was denied.
The Washington Post, on Sunday, indicated that US mediators were close to a deal, involving the release of women and children held in Gaza in exchange for a five-day pause in the conflict to facilitate emergency aid shipments.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US officials rejected a tentative deal reported by The Post on Saturday, with ongoing efforts mentioned by a White House spokesperson. The hostage situation arose from Hamas’s October 7 cross-border attack, leading to a siege on Gaza.
On November 15, Reuters reported that Qatari mediators sought a deal between Israel and Hamas, aiming to exchange 50 hostages for a three-day ceasefire. An official, at that time, stated that general outlines were agreed upon, but Israel was still negotiating details. On Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani announced in Doha that the main obstacles to a hostage release deal were now “very minor,” primarily practical and logistical issues.
Simultaneously, Israel prepared to expand its offensive in Gaza’s densely populated southern half following airstrikes that reportedly killed civilians, including those sheltering at two schools. Israeli forces invaded late last month in response to Hamas’s October attack, asserting control over large areas in the north, northwest, and east around Gaza City.
