A senior Hamas official has announced a list of 34 hostages that the militant group claims it is prepared to release as part of a potential ceasefire agreement with Israel. The fate of remaining hostages remains uncertain.
Included in the list are 10 women and 11 elderly men, aged between 50 and 85, along with young children whom Hamas previously reported as casualties from an Israeli airstrike. The list also includes several hostages who are reportedly in poor health.
In Gaza, reports indicate that Israeli airstrikes claimed the lives of over 100 individuals during the weekend.
The Israeli prime minister’s office has refuted claims that Hamas provided them with a hostages list. Ceasefire negotiations resumed recently in Doha, Qatar, but significant progress appears elusive.
A Hamas representative indicated that any potential agreement for the return of Israeli hostages would hinge on a deal for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. The official, speaking anonymously, criticized the Israeli administration for its perceived reluctance to engage on these critical issues.
In a recent development, a video featuring 19-year-old Israeli captive Liri Albag surfaced, prompting her government to consider negotiation efforts. She was one of seven female conscripts taken during Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities in southern Israel and the kidnapping of 251 individuals.
Israel’s military campaign against Hamas has reportedly resulted in at least 45,805 deaths in Gaza, as stated by the region’s health ministry. Recent reports indicate that Israeli airstrikes claimed at least 88 lives on Saturday, with an additional 17 fatalities recorded on Sunday following multiple airstrikes. The Israeli military announced that its air force targeted over 100 “terrorist” sites across Gaza during the same timeframe, resulting in the deaths of numerous Hamas fighters.
