'Israel' Approves Agreement, Signing Delayed by Details: Exclusive

By Al Mayadeen English

A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations confirmed to Al Mayadeen that while the occupation has given its general approval of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, the signing is being delayed due to unresolved details.

A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations revealed to Al Mayadeen on Wednesday that although the occupation has given its general approval for the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, the signing and implementation of the truce are being delayed due to pending details.

Regarding these details, the source stated that the occupation has not provided information on the mechanism for the prisoner exchange, nor clarified how the injured would be allowed to leave for treatment.

He added that the occupation also failed to provide a map outlining the military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, nor any details regarding the management of the Rafah crossing and the entry of trucks.

The source noted that such delays by the Israeli occupation continue to disrupt the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

Arab, American, and Israeli officials confirmed that the draft ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners have been agreed upon in principle. If everything proceeds smoothly, the ceasefire is expected to be finalized this week.

Imminent Gaza ceasefire: Key details, what to expect

Negotiators in Doha are set to finalize a ceasefire agreement for Gaza, following a pivotal "breakthrough" in talks that have raised hopes of ending the ongoing Israeli war, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

Qatar's foreign ministry, on its part, said on Tuesday that negotiations in Doha for a ceasefire-prisoner exchange deal were in their "final stages."

"We do believe that we are at the final stages... certainly we are hopeful that this would lead very soon to an agreement," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told a news conference, adding that "until there is an announcement... we shouldn't be over-excited about what's happening right now." It also announced that obstacles to the deal had been overcome.

"During the past months, there were underlying issues, major issues between the two parties unresolved. These issues were resolved during the talks in the past couple of weeks, and therefore we have reached a point where the major issues that were preventing a deal from happening were addressed," al-Ansari told a news conference.

Meanwhile, Hamas issued a statement revealing that it contacted and held consultations with the leaders of the Palestinian factions and informed them of the progress reached in the ongoing negotiations in Doha. 

The movement affirmed that it would pursue communications and consultations until the ceasefire-prisoner exchange agreement is concluded, knowing that it is in its final stages, as per the statement.

US President Joe Biden had indicated that a ceasefire and the release of captives could be imminent.

According to a source familiar with the negotiations, a final draft of the agreement was presented to both "Israel" and Hamas on Monday, after midnight discussions attended by envoys from both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump.