Posted on 09/07/24
| News Source: Arutz-7
US officials have announced that they have "indefinitely postpone" the presentation of the final "take it or leave it" ceasefire-prisoner swap deal, the Washington Post reported.
According to the Post, the latest obstacle is Hamas' "abrupt introduction" of its demand that Israel release high-profile terrorists even in exchange for humanitarian prisoners.
The report quoted a senior administration official who said that earlier this week, as negotiators from the US, Qatar, and Egypt, worked through final details of the "bridging proposal," Hamas said that civilian hostages would only be released in exchange for terrorists serving life sentences and who have blood on their hands.
Previously, the agreement had been that only IDF soldiers would be released in exchange for these terrorists.
According to the Post, US officials believe that several of the American hostages held in Gaza may be released in the first stage of such a deal, along with a "significant" number of the other living hostages.
The report also quoted the Biden officials as saying that they will continue working towards a deal so long as they believe there is even a small chance of success.