Right here’s how the negotiations involving Israel, Hamas, Qatar, the US and Egypt unfolded.
Shortly after the Hamas group took captives throughout their lethal assault on southern Israel on October 7, the federal government of Qatar contacted the White Home with a request: Kind a small crew of advisers to assist get the captives freed.
That effort, which started within the days after the captives had been taken, lastly bore fruit with the announcement of a truce mediated by Qatar and Egypt and agreed by Israel, Hamas and the USA.
Right here is the way it unfolded, as pieced collectively by Al Jazeera. A few of these particulars are primarily based on Reuters interviews with two US officers.
October 7
- On October 7, Hamas fired an enormous barrage of rockets into southern Israel, with sirens heard as far-off as Tel Aviv and Beersheba.
- Because the assault was unfolding later within the day, Israeli media reported armed males seized captives in Ofakim.
- Palestinian Islamic Jihad mentioned it was holding Israeli troopers, and Hamas social media accounts confirmed footage showing to indicate captives being taken into Gaza.
- One video confirmed three younger males in vests, shorts and flip-flops being marched by way of a safety set up with Hebrew writing on the wall. Different movies confirmed feminine captives and Israeli troopers being dragged from a navy automobile.
- Israel responded by beginning a weeks-long bombardment on the Gaza Strip.
Diplomatic responses to the October 7 assault
- Qatar, a detailed US ally, approached the White Home shortly after October 7 with delicate info concerning the captives and the potential for his or her launch, officers instructed Reuters.
- The Qataris requested {that a} small crew, or a “cell”, be established to work on the difficulty privately with the Israelis.
- The secretive effort included tense private diplomatic engagement by US President Joe Biden, who held quite a few pressing conversations with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu within the weeks main as much as the deal.
- Sullivan directed McGurk and one other Nationwide Safety Council official, Josh Geltzer, to ascertain the crew. This was completed with out telling different related US companies as a result of Qatar and Israel demanded excessive secrecy with just a few folks to be within the know, the officers mentioned.
- In line with Reuters studies, US Center East envoy Brett McGurk held each day morning calls with the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. He reported again to nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan, and Biden was briefed each day on the method.
October 13
- Biden acquired an upfront take a look at what the victims of the Hamas assault endured when he held an emotional, prolonged assembly with the households of People who had been both being held captive or had been unaccounted for.
- “They’re going through agony not knowing what the status of their sons, daughters, husbands, wives, children are,” he mentioned. “You know, it’s gut-wrenching. I assured them of my personal commitment to do everything possible, everything possible” to make sure the People’ return.
October 18
- Biden travelled to Tel Aviv for talks with Netanyahu. The official instructed Reuters that securing the discharge of captives was a central focus of his discussions with Netanyahu and his conflict cupboard, as was humanitarian help.
October 20
- Qatari and Egyptian mediation results in the discharge of two aged Israeli girls. Yokheved Lifshitz and Nurit Yitzhak, often known as Nurit Cooper, had been launched on “humanitarian” grounds, in accordance with Hamas.
- The 85-year-old Lifshitz mentioned at a information convention on Tuesday that she was harm in the course of the abduction however was handled properly throughout captivity. Each girls’s husbands stay captive.
October 23
- 5 days later, the White Home crew’s work helped yield the discharge of two American captives, Natalie Raanan, 17, and her mom, Judith, 59.
- From outdoors his West Wing workplace, Sullivan, the US Center East envoy McGurk, and Sullivan’s deputy Jon Finer tracked in actual time the captives’ tough, multi-hour journey out of Gaza.
- They had been transferred to Egypt by way of the Rafah crossing with the assistance of the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross (ICRC). They met with Israeli safety forces in Egypt and had been transferred to a navy base in Israel to be reunited with their household.
- The return of the 2 People proved it was attainable to realize freedom for captives and gave Biden confidence that Qatar might mediate the discharge of extra folks, officers mentioned.
- Now, an intensified course of began to get extra captives out. CIA Director Invoice Burns started talking usually with Mossad Director David Barnea.
📢 We facilitated the discharge of two extra hostages, transporting them out of #Gaza this night.
Our function as a impartial middleman makes this work attainable & we’re able to facilitate any future launch.
We hope that they are going to quickly be again with their family members.
— ICRC (@ICRC) October 23, 2023
October 24
- Israel was poised to launch a floor offensive in Gaza, the US aspect acquired phrase that Hamas had agreed to the parameters of a deal to launch girls and kids, which might imply a pause and a delay within the floor invasion.
- US officers debated with the Israelis whether or not the bottom offensive needs to be delayed.
- The Israelis argued that phrases weren’t agency sufficient to delay since there was no proof of life for the captives. Hamas claimed they may not decide who was being held till a pause in combating started.
- The US and Israeli governments seen the Hamas place as disingenuous. An unnamed official instructed Reuters that Israel’s invasion plan was tailored to assist a pause if a deal got here collectively.
- Israel steps up its floor assault on Gaza three days later, on October 27.
October 30
- In line with the Israeli navy, a fifth individual, a soldier, Non-public Ori Megidish, was rescued on October 30 throughout a floor raid inside Gaza.
- Abu Obeida mentioned the soldier was not held by the Qassam Brigades, and it was attainable she was held by civilians or particular person events in Gaza.
‘Pulling teeth’
- Over the following three weeks, Biden engaged in detailed talks as proposals a couple of potential captive launch had been traded backwards and forwards. Calls for had been made that Hamas produce the lists of captives it was holding, their figuring out info, and ensures of launch.
- The method was lengthy and generally appeared to maneuver painfully sluggish – communication was tough, and messages needed to be handed from Doha or Cairo into Gaza and again earlier than being relayed to Israel and the US, in accordance with officers.
- “Every step of this is like pulling teeth,” one official mentioned on the time, in accordance with a report by CNN.
- Biden held a beforehand undisclosed telephone name with the Qatari prime minister when the phasing of releases started to take form, the official instructed Reuters.
- Below the settlement that was taking form, girls and kids captives can be freed in a primary part, along with a commensurate launch of Palestinian prisoners from the Israelis.
- The Israelis insisted Hamas guarantee all girls and kids come out on this part. The US aspect agreed and demanded by way of Qatar a proof of life or figuring out info for ladies and kids held by Hamas.
- Hamas mentioned it might assure 50 within the first part however refused to provide an in depth record of the captives.
November 9
- CIA director Burns met in Doha with the Qatari chief and Mossad’s Barnea to undergo the texts of the rising association.
- The important thing impediment at that time was that Hamas had not clearly recognized who it was holding.
- Three days later, Biden known as the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and demanded to know the names or clear figuring out info for the 50 captives, together with ages, gender and nationalities.
- With out the knowledge, the official instructed Reuters, there was no foundation to maneuver ahead.
- Shortly after Biden’s name, Hamas produced particulars for the 50 captives it mentioned it might launch within the first part of any deal.
November 14
- In line with Reuters, Biden known as Netanyahu and urged him to take the deal. Netanyahu agreed.
- McGurk noticed Netanyahu that very same day in Israel. Strolling out of a gathering, Netanyahu grabbed McGurk’s arm and mentioned that “we need this deal” and urged Biden to name the emir of Qatar on the ultimate phrases, one of many officers mentioned.
- Talks stalled as communications went darkish in Gaza.
- Once they resumed, Biden was in San Francisco attending an Asia-Pacific summit. He known as the emir of Qatar and labored with him to use stress on Israel and Hamas to shut the deal, officers mentioned.
November 18
- US Center East envoy McGurk met in Doha with the Qatari prime minister. CIA director Burns was dialled in after he spoke with Mossad. The assembly recognized the final remaining gaps towards a deal.
- The settlement was now structured for ladies and kids to be freed within the first part however with an expectation for future releases and the intention to convey all captives house to their households.
November 19
- In Cairo, McGurk met with Egypt intelligence chief Abbas Kamel within the morning. Phrase got here from Hamas leaders in Gaza that they’d accepted almost all of the agreements labored out the day earlier than in Doha.
- Just one subject remained – the variety of captives to be launched within the first part and the final word construction of the deal to incentivise releases past the 50 identified girls and kids, the officers mentioned.
- A flurry of further conferences ensued, and the deal lastly got here collectively.
November 22
- On November 22, Israel and Hamas agreed to a short lived pause within the conflict that might allow the discharge of the captives.
- Earlier than the assembly to debate the deal, Netanyahu thanked Biden for his work to incorporate extra captives and fewer concessions within the settlement.
- “It took significant US pressure to get this deal done, which really tells you what it’s going to take in terms of US pressure to get something more permanent in place if not a transition to Palestinian self-rule of some kind,” James Dorsey, an honorary fellow on the Nationwide College of Singapore’s Center East Institute, instructed Al Jazeera.