Gaza, MINA – A Hamas official said that the movement had approved a list of 34 Israeli hostages to be returned as part of a deal that could eventually lead to a ceasefire. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office swiftly issued a statement saying that Hamas had not provided a hostage list, Middle East Monitor reported.
Late on Sunday, the Hamas official provided Reuters with a copy of the list showing the names of 34 hostages it agreed to set free in any possible ceasefire deal with Israel.
A renewed push is underway to reach a ceasefire in the 15-month Israeli genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza and return Israeli hostages before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on 20 January.
The effort comes amid a surge in Israeli military aggression in the enclave. This weekend, Israeli air strikes in Gaza killed 105 Palestinians, said medics. The Israeli military claimed to have killed dozens of Hamas “militants”.
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The US State Department said that Israel must comply with international law and do “significantly more to ensure the protection of civilians.” It added, however, that it supports Israel’s “right” to defend itself.
Israeli negotiators were dispatched on Friday to resume talks in Doha brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, and US President Joe Biden’s administration, which is helping to mediate, has urged Hamas to agree to a deal. The movement said on Friday that it was committed to reaching an agreement as soon as possible, but it was unclear how close the two sides were. (T/RE1/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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