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Discussions are underway for Hamas to release a small number of hostages, including some Americans, in exchange for a brief pause in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, officials briefed on the discussions said.
Under the terms being negotiated, Hamas would release up to 15 hostages and Israel would pause attacks on Gaza for three days, allowing time for humanitarian aid to be transported to the enclave and hostages to be transported, according to a person at the had been informed of the situation. the discussions.
Other officials confirmed the outlines of a deal but declined to discuss the specific number of hostages under discussion. Hamas, the group that controls the Gaza Strip and carried out the October 7 surprise attack on Israel, and other Palestinian groups are believed to be holding more than 240 hostages.
William J. Burns, the director of the CIA, helped facilitate the talks, according to U.S. officials. Mr. Burns is currently visiting countries in the Persian Gulf and is expected to continue his work on the hostage issue, the people briefed on the hostage negotiations said.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, declined to discuss the negotiations but said there had been a few humanitarian pauses that allowed people, including hostages, to leave Gaza.
“This is not a new idea, but it is something we believe should be pursued,” Mr Kirby said.
The new proposal would free Israeli female citizens and children, and people from other countries, including Americans, who were taken by Hamas on October 7 when the group attacked Israel. It is not clear how many Americans will be released.
Qatar is playing a role in the mediation, as it did in two previous hostage releases.
In recent days, U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who was in the Middle East last week, have intensified their push for a deal that would trade hostages for a lull in the fighting.
On Wednesday, Vedant Patel, a State Department spokesman, said about 10 Americans remained unaccounted for in last month’s Hamas massacre.
“We have been working around the clock to determine the whereabouts of these hostages,” he said.
But Mr. Patel declined to discuss Qatar-mediated talks or any U.S. involvement in the negotiations.
American officials and others informed about the discussions Hamas had been having previously made an offer to release a group of hostages. Those conversations took place just before the Israeli army entered Gaza. But Israeli officials doubted Hamas’s sincerity and continued their ground operation.
Still, U.S. officials said discussions continued even after Israeli forces surrounded Gaza City.
Qatar is closely involved in the hostage negotiations. Hamas’s political leaders are based in Doha. And the Qatari government holds regular talks with Israel, Hamas and the United States.
The Biden administration has not pressured Qatar to close the Hamas office because Mr. Blinken and other U.S. officials believe it is useful for hostage negotiations, a U.S. official said.
At a news conference with Mr. Blinken on Oct. 13, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, said the office is “a way to communicate and bring peace and tranquility to the region.”
Lisa Friedman in Washington contributed to the reporting.