Former Israeli Negotiator to Channel8: Current Ceasefire Agreement “Bad,” No Guarantees for Hostage Release

Former Israeli Negotiator Gershon Baskin

Gershon Baskin, who previously served as an Israeli negotiator in talks with Hamas, has expressed concerns about the current ceasefire agreement, calling it “bad” and pointing out that it does not provide any guarantees for the release of all hostages.

Qatar, which is facilitating the talks between Hamas and Israel, along with the United States and Egypt, stated that discussions in Doha had reached the “final stage” and that the last remaining hurdles to an agreement had been “resolved.”

Baskin told Channel8 in an exclusive interview: “This agreement is no different from what was on the table in May of last year. The ceasefire was bad then, and it remains bad now.”

He further stated, “The ceasefire will last two to three months, and only 33 hostages will be released within the first 42 days. There is no guarantee for the remaining hostages after that period.”

He also noted that in September, Hamas had agreed to a three-week deal in which the war would end, Israel would withdraw, and all hostages would return home in exchange for the release of most Palestinian prisoners. “At that time, Hamas had agreed to transfer power in Gaza to a civilian technocratic government,” Baskin added.

According to media reports, the draft agreement calls for a ceasefire and, in exchange for the release of hostages, Israel will release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Other elements of the agreement include the withdrawal of Israeli forces and increased aid to Gaza.