Israeli and Hamas officials are holding talks in Qatar in a renewed effort to reach a ceasefire agreement.
Hamas said it was prepared to release 34 prisoners as part of a cease-fire agreement with Israel, Reuters and AFP reported, citing officials with the Palestinian group.
The Palestinian group that governs the Gaza Strip has approved the release of the prisoners as part of the first phase of a prisoner exchange deal, AFP reported Sunday, citing an unnamed Hamas official.
The initial exchange will include all women, children, elderly and sick prisoners held in Gaza, the AFP official said.
Reuters, citing an unnamed Hamas official, said the ceasefire agreement would depend on whether Israel agrees to a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Sunday that Hamas had not yet provided a list of prisoners to be released.
The report comes as negotiations to reach a ceasefire agreement are ongoing in Qatar.
U.S. President Joe Biden, who is mediating the talks, is hoping for a last-minute agreement in the talks before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on the 20th.
Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from the Qatari capital Doha, said there were still significant gaps in connectivity between the two sides.
“Ultimately, a political decision is needed. And now this decision rests with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Because Hamas threw the ball into the Israeli court. And it is up to Israel whether to proceed with this to a second stage or not,” Hashem said.
Hashem said negotiations were progressing even in the context of Trump’s warnings about the consequences if a deal was not reached.
“Trump warned just a few weeks ago when he took office that all hell would break loose if there was no ceasefire. So who is he warning? Is it Netanyahu? Not likely to do it. Hamas? It’s very likely,” Hashem said.
“So how will Hamas handle this problem? Will they give up what they have been pursuing? In particular, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire are problematic. Because there is no guarantee that this war will end right now when Hamas releases the prisoners it is holding. And this is why Hamas wants a clear commitment from Israel.”
Israel continued bombing the Gaza Strip on Sunday, with the Israeli military claiming to have struck more than 100 “terrorist targets” in the Strip over the weekend.
Gaza health officials said Israeli airstrikes killed more than 100 Palestinians, including five in a house in the Nuseyrat camp and five in a police station in Khan Younis.
More than 45,800 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its war in Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.
