Efforts are underway in Qatar's capital Doha for a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages. Reuters quoted a Hamas official as saying that the Palestinian group Hamas has approved a list of 34 prisoners for a possible exchange deal as part of ongoing talks about a ceasefire.
An official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, stressed that any agreement depends on Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire. However, there has been no progress from Israel on this.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has denied receiving any list from Hamas for the agreement. In a statement released on Sunday evening, the office said, "As of now, Hamas has not provided a list of names of hostages." Differences between Israel and Hamas remained on Sunday over the terms of a possible ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as more than 100 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes during the week.
Hamas agrees to release 34 hostages in “first phase” of potential deal following Trump’s demands for their return ahead of his inauguration.
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Efforts are underway in Doha to secure a ceasefire and the return of Israeli prisoners, with mediators from Qatar and Egypt playing a key role. The Biden administration has also urged Hamas to finalize an agreement before the transfer of the US presidency on January 20.
Hamas is demanding a permanent ceasefire as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Israel has not shown any interest in this yet, but after the recent demonstrations in Israel for the release of hostages, the pressure on the government to finalize the deal has increased.
