Hamas says it is ready to release 34 prisoners under a ceasefire deal, reports say | News about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli and Hamas officials are holding talks in Qatar in a renewed effort to secure a ceasefire agreement.
Hamas said it was ready to release 34 prisoners as part of a cease-fire agreement with Israel, Reuters and AFP news agencies reported, citing an official of the Palestinian group.
The Palestinian group, which governs the Gaza Strip, approved the release of the prisoners “as part of the first phase of a prisoner exchange deal,” AFP reported Sunday, citing an unnamed Hamas official.
The initial exchange would include all women, children, elderly and sick prisoners held in Gaza, AFP reported, the official said.
Reuters quoted an unnamed Hamas official as saying the ceasefire deal would depend on Israel agreeing to a permanent ceasefire and its withdrawal from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Sunday that Hamas has yet to provide a list of prisoners for potential release.
The reports come at a time when negotiations are underway in Qatar to reach an agreement on a ceasefire.
The administration of United States President Joe Biden, which is mediating the talks, is hoping for a last-minute breakthrough in the talks before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
Reporting from the Qatari capital Doha, Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem said there were still significant differences to be bridged between the sides.
“In the end, there is a need for a political decision. And this decision is currently up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, because Hamas has thrown the ball into Israel’s backyard. And it is up to Israel whether they will take this to the second stage or not,” Hashem said.
Hashem said that the negotiations are also taking place in the context of Trump’s warnings about the consequences of not reaching an agreement.
“Trump warned just a few weeks ago that if there is no ceasefire when he takes office, hell will break out. So who is he warning? Is that Netanyahu? Unlikely. Hamas? Very likely,” Hashem said.
“So, how will Hamas deal with this? Will they give up what they were looking for? The special issue of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire. Because right now, at a time when Hamas is releasing the prisoners it is holding, there is no guarantee that this war will end. And that’s why Hamas wants a clear commitment from Israel.”
Israel continued its bombardment of Gaza on Sunday, with its military claiming to have hit more than 100 “terrorist targets” in the enclave over the weekend.
Gaza health officials said the Israeli strikes killed more than 100 Palestinians, including five people in a house in the Nuseirat camp and five in a police station in Khan Younis.
More than 45,800 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war in Gaza in response to Hamas attacks on the country on October 7, 2023.
