It is said that the ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, which have been at war for about 15 months, have reached their closest point so far. On Saturday, Hamas and two other Palestinian militant groups said they were 'closer than ever' to a Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel. They say that if Israel does not advance new terms, there will be a ceasefire.

Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) issued a joint statement saying that "the possibility of concluding a cease-fire and prisoner exchange agreement is closer than ever if the enemy does not impose new conditions".

According to the news organization AFP, a leader of Hamas has stated that "significant progress" has been made in the ceasefire talks in recent days. "Most of the points regarding the ceasefire and prisoner exchange have been agreed upon," he told AFP. "However, some issues remain to be resolved." But they don't stand in the way of a ceasefire . If no new terms come from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the deal could be finalized before the end of this year,' said the Hamas leader.

A few weeks ago, the talks mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt were positive. Last week, the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha, Qatar, mediated by three countries, raised hopes for an agreement. Last Wednesday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that he was hopeful for a ceasefire agreement. But he said that he could not predict when the agreement would be reached.   He said .

Likewise, he said that a ceasefire agreement is also necessary for the release of hostages. 'It should be . It also needs to be . We need to get people home .' Earlier talks in mid-October failed to produce a deal, with Hamas rejecting a short-term ceasefire proposal . But the latest talks took place in Cairo, Egypt.

Hamas released a statement on social network Telegram on Saturday and said that it held a meeting with representatives of PIJ and PFLP in Cairo on Friday . A senior Palestinian official also told the BBC that negotiations on the Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages between Israel and Hamas have been completed by 90 percent. But he says that some key issues remain. 

That means, it is said that there is no agreement due to the issue of the presence of the Israeli army in the Philadelphia corridor . The Philadelphia Corridor is strategically important land bordering Egypt and southern Gaza. The area is currently under the control of the Israeli army . 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that he does not want to withdraw Israeli forces from the Philadelphia corridor. Similarly, it is said that the agreement could not be concluded due to the issue of the post-war governance of Gaza . This issue has become very controversial even in the Palestinian leadership. Israeli officials have also said that the military presence in the area will continue . 

It is said that after these issues are resolved, a ceasefire agreement will be reached and will be implemented in three phases. The first phase will involve an exchange of 20 Palestinian prisoners for every female soldier to be released. The names of the prisoners have yet to be agreed upon but will be chosen from around 400 people serving 25 years or more in prison in Israel. Senior Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti is not considered to be included in this . It is said that the Israeli hostages will be released in different stages.

Likewise, civilians in the northern Gaza Strip will be allowed to return home under the monitoring system of Egypt and Qatar. It is also said that around 500 trucks will deliver aid materials to those areas every day. In the final phase, it is said that the 14-month-long war will end and the Gaza region will be inspected by a committee of experts who have no previous political affiliation. 

After the Palestinian armed group Hamas attacked southern Israel in 2023, the war in the Gaza Strip escalated . About 1,200 people were killed in the attack by Hamas. In addition, Hamas kidnapped 251 people from Israeli land. More than 100 of them have been released through hostage negotiations and some have been freed by the Israeli army. 96 people are still under the control of Hamas. Israeli officials estimate that 62 of them are still alive.

At least 46,000 people have lost their lives in Gaza during the 14-month-long war. According to health officials in Gaza, most of the dead are women and children. More than 176 thousand have been injured. About 11,000 are said to be missing. 

Most of the structures in Gaza, including hospitals and schools, have been destroyed. At least 50 percent of residential houses in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed, and about two million people have been displaced. International human rights groups have been accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

817 people have been killed and 6,250 injured in the invaded West Bank. The number of dead on Israel's side has reached 1139 and 8730 have been injured. With the start of the war in Gaza, Hamas was supported by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah . Because of this, war broke out between Israel and Hezbollah. But between the two parties, a ceasefire has been reached on November 27.