Israel ready for hostage deal, pitches for release of 30 hostages

Tel Aviv, Dec 20

The Israeli government is pushing for the release of 30 of the remaining hostages in the custody of Hamas militants.

Sources in Israel government told IANS that they were aiming for the release of 30 hostages that include elderly, sick, women and children from the captivity of Hamas.

While there are 129 hostages in the Gaza Strip in the custody of Hamas, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have officially said that 20 of these hostages are dead.

The Israeli government sources told IANS that it wants those of all ages, who are physically or mentally ill to be released in this truce package.

A senior official of the Israeli government told IANS that Israel was willing to go a long way to return the hostages and added that there would be several concessions from the Israeli part for the deal to go through.

Mossad Chief David Barnea had met the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the Director of Central Intelligence Agency( CIA), William Burns at Warsaw.

Sources in Israel said that the mediatory talk had not reached a point of conclusion to release the hostages.