After more than 14 months of war in Gaza and a serious humanitarian crisis that has cost 45,000 lives, Israel and Hamas seem to be very close to achieving a ceasefire that could bring a pause to the armed conflict. Various sources describe the agreement as imminent.
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The Minister of Defense of Israel, Israel Katz, told a parliamentary committee that the country was "closer than ever to a ceasefire agreement." The statement was confirmed to NBC News by a lawmaker present at the meeting.
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What are the details of the possible agreement between Israel and Hamas?
The position of Hamas has significantly weakened in Gaza recently and the enclave's residents are fed up with the militant group due to hunger, displacement to inhospitable areas, and attacks by the Israeli army.
Last week, executives reported that they had softened several of their demands to negotiate a ceasefire.
According to an official from Hamas who spoke to The Washington Post, the agreement would include a 60-day ceasefire; the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and the possibility of the Israeli army remaining in Gaza.
The Defense Minister of Israel said that their army would maintain "freedom of action" in Gaza once the potential ceasefire is signed.
Sources from Hamas quoted by NBC News said that in the last few hours there have been "serious and positive discussions" in Qatar and that it was possible to reach an agreement "if Israel stops setting new conditions."
At the same time, diplomats from Egypt, who like those from the United States have acted as mediators, are working in parallel to establish a government agreement in Gaza between Hamas and Fatah, the secular organization that governs the West Bank and controls the Palestinian National Authority. Both factions were involved in a "civil war" in Gaza in 2007, and Fatah had to leave the Strip.