Even as Gaza war rages, hopes of a deal grow

NT Bureau, Agencies

Khan Younis: Senior Hamas officials said on Tuesday that an agreement could be reached soon in which the militant group would release hostages and Israel would free Palestinian prisoners.

Israel, the US and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, have been negotiating over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire in Gaza and the entry of more humanitarian aid.

Similar predictions of a hostage agreement in recent weeks have proven premature. Israel's army is widening its operations across northern Gaza, where they battled Palestinian militants on Tuesday in the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp, the territory's largest.

The military said forces are “preparing the battlefield” in the Jabaliya area, just north of Gaza City, and have killed dozens of militants in recent days.

Troops discovered three tunnel shafts where fighters were hiding and destroyed rocket launchers, it said. More than 12,700 Palestinians — two-thirds of them women and minors — have been killed since the war began, according to Palestinian health authorities, who do not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths.

About 4,000 people are reported missing. Jerusalem-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has announced meetings of three key decision-making bodies late Tuesday to discuss “the issue of the release of hostages.”

“On the return of the hostages, we are making progress," Netanyahu said in a meeting with Israeli soldiers.

"I don't think it's worth saying too much, not even at this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon.”