A deal for the release of hostages and a prolonged cease-fire in the Gaza Strip could facilitate advancing an agreement with Hezbollah, former IDF military intelligence chief Tamir Hayman said.
A deal outline was negotiated in Paris last Friday, calling for the release of 35-40 hostages, a halt in fighting for a period of six weeks and the release of some 400 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
While US President Joe Biden said on Monday that he hopes to have a hostage deal in place by March 4, the hurdles for such a deal to materialize are significant on several levels, Hayman, who is managing director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), told Al-Monitor.
Hayman said that while Washington is seeking to help Israel reach a deal, it is also looking to capitalize on opportunities that would come about with a pause in fighting.
