According to the David Ignatius of the Washington post, in a column published on Wednesday, negotiators in Qatar attempting to secure the release of hostages, identified the captives held in Gaza according to five categories: men too old for reserve military duty, female soldiers, male reservists, active-duty male soldiers, and the bodies of Israelis who died before or during captivity, totaling more than 100 Israelis, although the paper could not specify an exact number.
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In the report quoting a source, Hamas has expressed “willingness to negotiate on all five categories,” but other aspects such as how many captured Hamas terrorists and Palestinian prisoners would be released by Israel each time, and how much aid would be allowed into the Strip, have not yet been worked out.
The source said Hamas could not say who among the hostages was alive and who was not, because some were held by other groups above ground and not by Hamas in its tunnels. A question raised in the talks was whether negotiations would continue if Israel resumes its offensive, after it stated that its objective was to eradicate Hamas's military capabilities and end its rule over Gaza, while Hamas was seeking an end to the Israeli operation.
After talks in Qatar ended on Tuesday, the cabinet met to discuss the next stages proposed after the list of hostages to be freed on Wednesday was delivered. Missing from the list of names were 10-month-old Kfir, 4-year-old Ariel Bibas and their mother Shiri, abducted with father Yarden, on October 7.
Yarden's sister, Ofri Bibas Levy, expressed her deep concern over the family's 53-day captivity in Gaza at the hands of Hamas. "We are in the dark about how Kfir, just 10 months old, Ariel, and their parents are faring. We wonder who consoles them when they cry, whether they are fed, and if they have the means to maintain their hygiene," Levy said.
"Their location is known - they were abducted by Hamas and they should be brought back without delay," she added. "The accountability for their well being falls squarely on Hamas. I ask Hamas - who do you consider your enemies? To abduct children - what does this say about your principles? Does Islam sanction such actions?" she asked. Seven other children were still held by the terrorists.