Hamas Approves List of 34 Israeli Hostages to Release, 'Dead or Alive' Yet to be Determined

Tel Aviv: Hamas on Sunday (January 5) in an official statement said that the group is ready to release 34 hostages in the potential "first phase" prisoner exchange deal with Israel, Reuters reported.

This statement follows Israel's confirmation that indirect talks to negotiate a truce and hostage release are being mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. It also said that the group has yet to provide the list of the hostages. 

An official on the condition anonymously revealed that the first phase of the agreement would involve the release of women, children, the elderly and the sick among the hostages.

"Hamas has agreed to release 34 Israeli prisoners from a list presented by Israel as part of the first phase of a prisoner exchange deal."

However, the official as quoted by media reports, added that the Palestinian terrorist group requires time to determine whether the hostages will be released dead or alive.

According to Israel's military of the 251 hostages held during the October 7 attack, 96 remain in Gaza including 34 dead.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz assured relatives of a hostage on Saturday that “Efforts are underway to free the hostages, notably the Israeli delegation which left yesterday (Friday) for negotiations in Qatar."

Qatar PM Meets Visiting Hamas Delegation for Ceasefire Talks

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met with a Hamas delegation headed by senior official Khalil al-Hayya in Doha on Saturday to discuss a possible ceasefire in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed the latest ceasefire negotiations progress. They discussed how to promote negotiations and ensure a clear and comprehensive agreement to end the ongoing latest round of the Palestine-Israel conflict.

According to a statement by the Gaza-based health authorities on Saturday, the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,484, with 108,090 others injured.

On October 7 2023, Hamas launched a massive attack on Israel killing 1,200 people and injuring thousands of civilians. The terrorist group also took 251 hostages back to Gaza, some of whom were found dead later. Following this deadly attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to destroy Hamas.

Following this on October 13th, Israel began its bombing campaign in Gaza, tightened its siege and instructed civilians in Gaza to move to the south.