MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. The main condition in any potential hostage deal between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement must be an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin told TASS.
"The main thing [now] is what our president [Vladimir Putin] has said from the start: it is necessary to ensure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This is the main condition to save people, to get unimpeded access to provide the population with humanitarian aid, as well as to create conditions for resuming the political process, which may lead to the implementation of the two-state solution," the senior diplomat said in a reply to a corresponding question. At the same time, Vershinin called the process of getting a new deal done "very complicated."
In late January, representatives of the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar met in Paris and formulated the outlines of a new deal between Hamas and Israel, which provides for a gradual exchange of hostages held by the radicals for Palestinian prisoners, a pause in hostilities, and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
On February 6, Hamas confirmed that it had sent its response to a potential deal to Qatar and Egypt. The New York Times reported, citing an anonymous Israeli source, that Jerusalem is not ready to accept Hamas’ conditions, as they include impossible demands: a complete ceasefire and giving Hamas full control over Gaza.
Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 240 hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Large-scale combat operations have continued in the Gaza Strip since then. The parties agreed upon a humanitarian pause in late November 2023. During the week-long humanitarian pause, according to the Israeli authorities, 110 hostages held in Gaza since October 7 were released. However, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), as many as 136 people are still held hostage.