A list of 34 Israeli hostages that could be traded in a potential ceasefire agreement has been authorised by Hamas, according to a Hamas official.
The names in the media come from an earlier list that Israel had given to mediators, the Israeli government said, denying that it had received a list of hostages from Hamas.
“Hamas has yet to provide a list of hostages, contrary to what was claimed,” the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
Netanyahu’s office stated that the media-reported list of hostages was initially sent from Israel to the mediators in July 2024 and was not given to Israel by Hamas. “Hamas has not yet confirmed or responded to Israel’s request for information about the hostages on the list.”
The detainees’ release would be subject to an agreement on Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire, according to a story published on Sunday that quoted an unnamed Hamas official.
The number and identities of Palestinian inmates and prisoners who would be freed in return for the hostages are also being negotiated between Israel and Hamas.
It’s unclear which hostages are actually on the list and if they’re still alive or not. Israel has claimed in recent weeks that the extremist group has not yet provided them with a complete list of the hostages who are still alive.
“There is not much new, slow progress for now,” despite rumours of renewed “optimism” regarding negotiations.
According to a US official and another person familiar with the situation, officials in Doha include White House Middle East adviser Brett McGurk. According to an Israeli source, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is scheduled to visit Washington this week to meet with representatives of the Trump transition and the Biden administration.
During a visit to South Korea on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters, “We have seen a re-intensified engagement in the last couple of weeks, including by Hamas, but we have yet to see agreement on the final points.” “In the two weeks that we have left, we really want to get this over the finish line.”
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