Hamas Shares List of 34 Hostages Willing to Be Released Amid Stalled Ceasefire Talks

A senior Hamas official has shared with the BBC a list of 34 hostages that the Palestinian group claims it is willing to release as part of a potential ceasefire agreement with Israel. The list includes 10 women, 11 elderly male hostages aged between 50 and 85, and young children who Hamas previously stated were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Additionally, a number of hostages identified as ill are included.

However, it remains unclear how many of the hostages are still alive. The announcement comes as ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel continue in Doha, Qatar, though little progress has been made so far. A Hamas official emphasized that any agreement to return Israeli hostages would require Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the establishment of a permanent ceasefire or an end to the ongoing war.

Meanwhile, reports from Gaza indicate that Israeli airstrikes over the weekend have resulted in over 100 fatalities. The Israeli government has denied claims that Hamas has provided Israel with a list of hostages.

Earlier, Hamas released a video featuring 19-year-old Israeli captive Liri Albag, urging the Israeli government to engage in negotiations for a deal. Albag, along with six other female soldiers, was captured during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the capture of 251 hostages.

As of Saturday, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have claimed at least 45,805 lives, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Despite this, Israel’s military maintains that airstrikes have targeted over 100 Hamas “terrorist” sites, killing dozens of militants. The conflict continues to escalate, with little indication of a breakthrough in negotiations.