Israel agrees to resume negotiations with Hamas for the release of kidnapped hostages

The Israeli War Cabinet has announced in a statement that it will resume negotiations with Hamas for the return of the hostages who have been kidnapped in Gaza since October 7.

The decision comes after this Wednesday Egypt will threaten to withdraw as a mediator in the conflict between Israel and Hamas due to accusations of having carried out mismanagement of the last round of negotiations, which led to its failure, according to the newspaper The Times of Israel.

“Attempts to sow doubt and offend Egypt’s mediation efforts… will only lead to further complications of the situation in Gaza and the entire region and push Egypt to completely withdraw from its mediation in the conflict,” Diaa said. Rashwan, who acts as spokesperson for the Egyptian Government.

The Cabinet thus opens the door to a new round of negotiations, which had been paralyzed since May 10, when both Israel and Hamas withdrew their delegations from Cairo after failing to reach an agreement on the proposal for a ceasefire and exchange of hostages for prisoners presented by the Islamist organization and the mediators.

Hamas then accused Israel of returning the negotiations “to square one,” while Israeli officials noted that the Islamists had modified essential issues in the proposed agreement once they had accepted it.

Of the 253 kidnapped on October 7, 124 captives remain in the enclave, 40 of them dead according to Israel, more than 70 according to Hamas; while there have been four other hostages for years, two of them dead.

Since the war began, Israel and Hamas only reached a one-week truce agreement in late November, which allowed the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Additionally, four hostages were released by Hamas in October; three rescued by the Army; while the bodies of 17 hostages have been recovered, three of whom Israeli troops killed by mistake.