Report: Israel Says Hamas Has Yet to Give List of Living Hostages to Be Released

Hamas has not yet provided Israel with a list of the living hostages it holds, who are expected to be exchanged as part of a ceasefire deal, according to a report from television news citing Israeli sources.

Channel 12 was the first to report that the terror group has yet to deliver the list of names, but Israeli officials have expressed optimism, believing that progress is being made in the ongoing negotiations.

Earlier, Hebrew media reported that Major General Shlomi Binder, head of the IDF’s intelligence corps, had traveled to Cairo over the weekend for talks with Egyptian officials. However, the report clarified that the purpose of his visit was not related to the hostage negotiations but rather for discussions on security cooperation.

Later, Channel 12 reported that Israel denied Binder’s visit to Cairo had taken place.

Nonetheless, delegations from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine gathered in Cairo on Friday to continue discussions about the ceasefire and hostage release negotiations.

According to Hamas, the possibility of securing an agreement “is closer than ever if the enemy stops setting new conditions.”

All three groups are believed to be holding hostages across Gaza, taken during Hamas’s brutal attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

The factions “stressed everyone’s keenness to stop the aggression against our people,” a Hamas statement read, which seemingly refers to the group’s demand for a permanent ceasefire.

The primary point of disagreement in the negotiations is the nature of the ceasefire deal. Hamas insists on a permanent end to the fighting, while Israel is advocating for a temporary halt, during which some hostages would be freed, followed by a resumption of military action aimed at dismantling Hamas’s military and governing power. This was explained by an Arab diplomat in a statement to The Times of Israel earlier this week.

Israel wants the agreement to include language about a ceasefire that “end[s] the military operation,” while Hamas demands the wording reflect that the ceasefire will “end the war.”

In a Friday interview with The Wall Street Journal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his firm opposition to a permanent ceasefire, stating that he would only accept a temporary pause as part of a hostage release agreement, while reasserting his goal of fully dismantling Hamas.

“I’m not going to agree to end the war before we remove Hamas,” Netanyahu said. “We’re not going to leave them in power in Gaza, 30 miles from Tel Aviv. It’s not going to happen.”

On Shabbos, in response to reports that Marwan Barghouti’s family had recently visited Qatar to discuss his possible release to Turkey as part of a hostage deal, Netanyahu’s office released a statement declaring, “the terrorist Marwan Barghouti will not be released if and when a deal is made to release the hostages.”

Hamas has reportedly demanded Barghouti’s release as part of the hostage deal.

Barghouti, 64, is serving five life sentences in Israel for his role in planning terror attacks that killed five Israelis during the Second Intifada. He is often seen as a leading candidate to succeed Mahmoud Abbas as the leader of the Palestinian Authority, particularly among younger Palestinians who view him as untarnished by the PA’s corruption and collaboration with Israel.

Following the Israeli government’s stance on Barghouti, Channel 12 reported that Israel is insisting on presenting a list to the mediators with the names of 70 to 100 security prisoners who it would exclude from any potential release as part of the agreement.

Repeated attempts to reach a new hostage agreement since a week-long truce in November 2023—during which 105 hostages were released—have failed, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of undermining the talks and standing firm on key issues.

However, the current round of discussions appears to be nearing an agreement that would secure the release of at least some of the 96 hostages still held by Hamas, taken during the October 7 attack on Israel.

During that attack, around 3,000 terrorists ravaged southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 hostages, primarily civilians, many of whom were subjected to brutal treatment.

Four hostages were released before the November truce, and eight hostages have been rescued alive by IDF troops, while the bodies of 38 hostages have been recovered, including three who were accidentally killed by Israeli forces while attempting to escape.

In addition, Hamas is holding two Israeli civilians who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in 2014.

{Matzav.com}