More than 250 people were taken hostage in Hamas’s attack in 2023
BBC NEWS | Published January 6, 2025
A senior Hamas official has shared with the BBC a list of 34 hostages that the Palestinian group says it is willing to release in the first stage of a potential ceasefire agreement with Israel.
It is unclear how many of those named remain alive.
Among them are 10 women and 11 older male hostages aged between 50 and 85, as well as young children who Hamas previously said had been killed in an Israeli air strike.
A number of hostages who Hamas says are sick are also included on the list.
Reports from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry say Israeli air strikes killed more than 100 people there at the weekend.
The Israeli prime minister’s office denied reports that Hamas had provided Israel with a list of hostages.
“The list of abductees published in the media was not passed on to Israel by Hamas, but was originally passed from Israel to intermediaries as early as July 2024,” it said.
“To date, Israel has not received any confirmation or comment from Hamas regarding the status of the abductees on the list.”
Hamas’s decision to release the names of hostages will be seen by some as an attempt to increase public pressure on the Israeli government.
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SOURCE: www.bbc.com
RELATED: Hamas says it has approved Israeli list of 34 hostages for possible deal
A renewed push is underway to reach a ceasefire in the 15-month war between Israel and Hamas and return Israeli hostages who were taken to Gaza.
Families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and their supporters light flares as they attend a protest calling for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, near the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, 4 January 2025. [EPA-EFE/ABIR SULTAN]
EURACTIV | Published January 6, 2025
Israel and Hamas wrangled on Sunday (5 January) over the details of a deal to halt fighting in the Gaza Strip and return hostages home, as Palestinian officials said intensified Israeli bombardments had killed more than 100 people over the weekend.
A Hamas official said the group had approved a list of 34 Israeli hostages to be returned as part of a deal that could eventually lead to a ceasefire. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office swiftly issued a statement saying Hamas had not provided a hostage list.
Later on Sunday, the Hamas official provided Reuters 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 war between Israel and Hamas, and return Israeli hostages who were taken to Gaza, before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on 20 January.
The effort comes amid a surge in Israeli military action in the enclave. This weekend, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed 105 Palestinians, medics said. The Israeli military said it had killed dozens of Hamas militants.
The US State Department said 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.
Hamas said on Friday it was committed to reaching an agreement as soon as possible, but it was unclear how close the two sides were.
A Hamas official told Reuters any agreement to return Israeli hostages would hinge on a deal for Israel to withdraw from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire or end to the war.
“However, until now, the occupation continues to be obstinate over an agreement over the issues of the ceasefire and withdrawal, and has made no step forward,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
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SOURCE: www.euractiv.com
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