Hamas Denies Having 40 Living Hostages in Gaza for Exchange with Israel
In a surprising turn of events, a senior Hamas official has stated that the group does not have 40 living hostages in Gaza who meet the criteria for an exchange under a proposed cease-fire agreement with Israel. This revelation has raised fears that more hostages may be dead than previously believed, throwing a wrench into the negotiations between the two parties.
According to a senior Israeli official, Hamas relayed this claim to mediators facilitating the negotiations. Both the Israeli and Hamas officials have requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the ongoing talks. The disagreement over the number of hostages and their condition has caused a stall in the discussions, with issues such as the permanency of the cease-fire and the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza also causing tension.
International negotiators have proposed a six-week cease-fire during which Hamas would release a first group of 40 hostages, including women, older people, ill hostages, and five female Israeli soldiers, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. However, Israeli officials believe there are around 130 hostages still in Gaza, with at least 30 believed to have died in captivity.
The development comes on the heels of the Israeli military recovering the body of an Israeli hostage who was abducted during a Hamas-led attack in October. Despite a brief cease-fire in November for the release of around 100 hostages captured during the assault, the situation remains tense and uncertain.
It is unclear at this time how Israel will proceed with the negotiations and if they will demand the inclusion of young men and soldiers among the first 40 released captives. The fate of the remaining hostages and the future of the cease-fire agreement hang in the balance as both sides navigate this delicate and complex situation.
