Hamas has approved a list of 34 Israeli hostages for a potential exchange deal tied to ongoing ceasefire negotiations, according to a Hamas official cited by Reuters. The Israeli government, however, denied receiving such a list, stating that the names being circulated were from an earlier list Israel had provided to mediators in July 2024.
“Contrary to claims, Hamas has not provided a list of hostages,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Sunday. “The list published in the media was originally transferred from Israel to the mediators. No response has been received from Hamas regarding the hostages’ status.”
Hamas has reportedly linked the hostages’ release to a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire agreement. Negotiators are also discussing the number and identities of Palestinian prisoners who would be exchanged in the deal.
The status of the individuals on the list, including whether they are alive, remains unclear. Israeli officials told CNN they are still awaiting a complete list of living hostages from Hamas.
Indirect talks mediated in Doha continue, with both sides reporting slow progress. White House Middle East adviser Brett McGurk and other officials are participating in the discussions.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking in South Korea on Monday, said, “We very much want to finalize this in the next two weeks.”
Hamas recently released a video of hostage Liri Albag, a 19-year-old Israeli abducted during the October 7, 2023, attacks. The footage has intensified calls within Israel for a ceasefire agreement. Albag’s family urged Netanyahu to seize the opportunity to bring hostages home.
As of December 5, Hamas was holding about 100 hostages in Gaza, with at least 36 believed to be dead, according to Netanyahu’s office.
While negotiations continue, Israeli airstrikes on Sunday targeted a residential building in northern Gaza, killing 12 members of the Zuhd family, Gaza’s Civil Defense reported.
Local residents described the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood as increasingly dangerous. “They attack us every day now, with missiles and bombs,” said Wissam Zuhd, a family member of the victims.
Footage from CNN showed rescuers digging through rubble, and a young man’s body was seen hanging from the wreckage. Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City reported being overwhelmed by casualties.
The Gaza Health Ministry said Sunday that 88 people were killed in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total death toll in Gaza since October 2023 to at least 45,805, with more than 109,000 injured.
CNN
