A Hamas official on Sunday commented on the ongoing negotiations for a hostage deal with Israel, telling Reuters that the terrorist organization "approved a list of 34 hostages presented by Israel to be exchanged in a possible cease-fire deal."
According to the official, Hamas has stipulated that any agreement depends on a cease-fire and a withdrawal from Gaza, and a permanent halt to fighting, though the terror group sees no progress on these issues from Israel at this stage.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that no list has been received by Israel yet, though the Hamas official clarified that the list was merely "approved." According to reports, Israel insists on the release of at least 24 live hostages and has therefore requested that Hamas also release injured male hostages under 50 years old on humanitarian grounds. Reports also suggest not all individuals listed as hostages are necessarily alive.
Meanwhile, Mossad chief David Barnea may travel to Doha, Qatar, on Monday for the ongoing talks. Most of the terms have reportedly been agreed upon, except for the number of hostages to be released in the deal's initial phase.
Not all individuals listed as hostages are necessarily alive
Hamas now claims to have finalized a list of those hostages. The sensitive and significant matter remains under heavy secrecy by both Israel and Hamas, leaving the agreement's viability uncertain.
Barnea's trip to Doha isn’t confirmed at this time, as he has only traveled to Qatar previously during high-level summits which included CIA Director William Burns and Egyptian intelligence head Hassan Mahmoud Rashad. It's unclear if such a summit is currently planned.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden’s Middle East envoy Brett McGurk is in Doha, signaling heavy American pressure to finalize a deal. However, Washington remains skeptical, despite Biden directing his team to do everything possible to secure an agreement, given his desire to conclude his term with a deal — even a limited one.
Israeli officials expressed cautious optimism on the talks, suggesting a deal could be reached this week but stressed the importance of not raising the hostages’ families' hopes prematurely.
Sources close to a senior Hamas leader expressed surprise that the terror group’s leadership has adhered to mediator requests and refrained from leaking details about the negotiations to the media.
However, these sources told Ynet that "the direction of the talks remains unclear and we’re still at a critical juncture. The coming days will reveal more." They added that senior Hamas officials remain cautiously optimistic.
Sources told Egyptian TV channel Al-Rad on Sunday that "disputes remain over the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, though partial Israeli redeployment to northern Gaza has been agreed upon."
They also reported an understanding regarding partial Israeli presence along the eastern Philadelphi Corridor near the Kerem Shalom border crossing. A meeting between mediators and the Israeli delegation in Doha reportedly lasted only an hour.
Separately, an Egyptian source denied Israeli media reports claiming Egypt was preparing for military intervention in Yemen, calling it "baseless misinformation."
Palestinian officials told the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that there’s "no discussion of a partial deal or the exile of Hamas leaders from Gaza. Talks are focused on a comprehensive agreement."
They added that the Israeli delegation must "resolve matters with their political leadership," noting that Netanyahu held a security meeting on Sunday, though his office denied that the discussion focused on the hostage issue.
Earlier, Saudi newspaper Al-Hadath reported positive momentum toward an agreement between Israel and Hamas. The deal would reportedly unfold in phases over two to three months, with Arab and Western countries managing Gaza alongside Palestinian groups.
According to the sources, the Palestinian Authority would govern Gaza in coordination with Arab and foreign countries, ensuring immunity for Hamas leaders while Israel refrains from targeting them.
The agreement would include Hamas leaders' deportation from Gaza, with governance handed to an independent Palestinian body and possibly international Scandinavian forces stationed in Gaza. The U.S. would sponsor the deal between Hamas and Israel.
A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that "today is a decisive day for the fate of the negotiations between Hamas and Israel. The mediators managed to bridge gaps with compromise solutions and are awaiting the Israeli government’s response."
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The main issue in the negotiations remains how many live hostages will be released. Israel reportedly aimed to secure the release of at least 24 hostages in the first phase of the deal, insisting that Hamas include injured male hostages under 50 as part of a humanitarian exchange phase.
Hamas, however, opposes this demand, claiming it wasn’t part of the initial agreements and is requesting either the release of more high-profile terrorists or a greater number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for younger hostages.