Hamas said it was ready to release 34 prisoners as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel, Reuters and AFP news agencies reported, citing an official from the Palestinian group.
The Palestinian group, which governs the Gaza Strip, approved the release of the captives “as part of the first phase of a prisoner exchange agreement”, AFP reported on Sunday, citing an anonymous Hamas official.
The initial exchange would include all women, children, elderly and sick people detained in Gaza, the official said, AFP said.
But Hamas needs time to determine their condition, he added. “Hamas agreed to release the 34 prisoners, alive or dead. However, the group needs a week of calm to communicate with the kidnappers and identify those who are alive and those who are dead,” the official said.
Reuters cited an unnamed Hamas official as saying that a ceasefire deal would depend on Israel agreeing to a permanent ceasefire and withdrawing from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Monday that Hamas had not shared details of the 34 captives with them.
“At this time, Israel has not received any confirmation or comment from Hamas regarding the status of the hostages on the list,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
This information comes as negotiations are underway in Qatar to reach a ceasefire agreement.
The administration of US President Joe Biden, which is acting as mediator in the negotiations, is hoping for a last-minute breakthrough in negotiations before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Washington wants to see a Gaza ceasefire deal reached before the end of the Biden administration, but that it could take longer.
“We really want to cross the finish line in the next two weeks, the time we have left,” Blinken said at a news conference in South Korea, where he is visiting. “If we don’t manage to cross the finish line in the next couple of weeks, I’m confident it will be completed at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later.”
“It’s up to Israel to decide”
Speaking from the Qatari capital Doha, Tel Aviv Tribune’s Ali Hashem said there were still significant differences to be bridged between the sides.
“Ultimately, a political decision is necessary. And that decision currently rests with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, because Hamas has passed the ball back to Israel. And it is up to Israel to decide whether or not to move on to the second stage,” Hachem said.
Hachem said the negotiations were also taking place against the backdrop of Trump’s warnings about the consequences of no deal.
“Trump warned a few weeks ago that if there was no ceasefire by the time he took office, all hell was going to break loose. So who is he warning? Is it Netanyahu? Unlikely. Hamas? Most likely,” Hachem said.
“So how is Hamas going to handle this? Will they give up what they are looking for? Above all the question of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire. Because at the moment, when Hamas releases the prisoners it holds, there is no guarantee that this war will end. This is why Hamas wants a clear commitment from Israel.”
Israel continued to bombard Gaza on Sunday, with its army claiming to have struck more than 100 “terrorist targets” in the enclave over the weekend.
Health officials in Gaza said Israeli strikes killed more than 100 Palestinians, including five people at a house in the Nuseirat camp and five at a police station in Khan Younis.
More than 45,800 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war in Gaza in response to Hamas attacks on the country on October 7, 2023.
