Egypt, Qatar reportedly close in on hostage release deal in exchange for 'humanitarian pause'

Egypt and Qatar are leading negotiations for a deal to free a number of hostages from the hands of Hamas terrorists in Gaza and are close to completing it, several Israeli and international media outlets reported on Wednesday evening.

In exchange for the release of around 10-15 hostages, Israel would grant a humanitarian pause in the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

The report that Egypt is involved in the negotiations came from the semi-official Egyptian news outlet Al-Akhbar, while the pro-Qatari Al-Arabi Al-Jadid newspaper cited sources confirming Qatar's mediation.

The Qatari report added that the completion of the deal is delayed by a debate about the length of the pause, which is expected to be a number of days.

“Negotiations mediated by the Qataris in coordination with the US are ongoing to secure the release of 10-15 hostages in exchange for a one- to two-day ceasefire,” an informed source told the French AFP.

“Talks revolve around the release of 12 hostages, half of them Americans, in exchange for a three-day humanitarian pause, to enable Hamas to release the hostages and to enable Egypt an extended [period] to deliver humanitarian aid,” according to AFP.

Al-Arabi Al-Jadid claimed that American CIA Director William Burns is expected to visit Qatar on Thursday to take part in the negotiations.

Hamas military spokesman Abu Ubaydah said: “We emphasize again that the only and clear path to the release of the abductees is a full or partial prisoner exchange deal.”

On Wednesday evening, Netanyahu emphasized that the Israeli government would not agree to a deal that wouldn't free all hostages.

"I would like to put aside all kinds of idle rumors that we hear from all kinds of directions, and repeat one clear thing: There will be no ceasefire without the release of our hostages. Everything else is idle," he said.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who traveled from Qatar to Israel on Wednesday, indirectly confirmed the ongoing negotiations.

“We spoke about the hostages, who have been held for several weeks now by the terrorist organization Hamas. They must be released as soon as possible … the Netherlands is grateful for Qatar’s efforts to make this possible,” Rutte wrote on X.

The issue of a humanitarian ceasefire has increasingly been brought up in recent days, among others by UN Sec.-Gen. António Guterres.

On Wednesday, the G7 foreign ministers also expressed their support for humanitarian pauses to allow the release of hostages and for aid to enter Gaza, as did Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In a rare wartime interview with ABC News on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that while a general ceasefire was out of the question, smaller pauses in fighting may be possible under certain conditions.

Tactical fighting pauses, “an hour here, an hour there,” could be arranged, Netanyahu said.

“We’ve had them before… we’ll check the circumstances in order to enable humanitarian goods to come in, or individual hostages to leave.”

The forum of the families for the return of the kidnapped and missing welcomed the reports, but "insists on its position that any move for a ceasefire will include the release of all the kidnapped from Gaza."