Hamas Approves 34-Hostage Exchange Pending Israeli Withdrawal; Israel Denies Receiving List

Jan 5, 2025, 06:46 PM

Hamas has announced that it has approved a list of 34 hostages presented by Israel to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners as part of a possible ceasefire deal. The negotiations are reportedly taking place in Doha, Qatar. According to a Hamas official cited by Reuters, any agreement depends on Israel agreeing to withdraw its forces from Gaza and establishing a permanent ceasefire. Hamas currently holds approximately 100 hostages, including 7 Americans, but has not clarified how many of the 34 hostages on the list are alive. However, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied receiving any list of hostages from Hamas, stating that Hamas has not provided a list of hostage names up to this moment.