A senior Hamas official has released a list of 34 hostages the group claims it is prepared to release as part of an initial stage in a potential ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The move, coming amid ongoing negotiations in Doha, Qatar, has heightened tensions and sparked mixed reactions internationally.
The hostages on the list range in age from one to 86,
Hamas claims some hostages are sick, while others, previously reported as killed in Israeli airstrikes, are now said to be alive. However, the status of many remains uncertain, and Israeli officials have cast doubt on the list’s credibility.
The Israeli prime minister’s office denied that Hamas had officially provided the list to them, asserting that the names were initially shared with intermediaries by Israel in July 2024.
“To date, Israel has not received any confirmation or comment from Hamas regarding the status of the abductees on the list,” a statement read.
Families of hostages expressed anguish in a collective statement, urging immediate action: Families of hostages said in a statement that they were “deeply shaken and distressed” by the list.
“The time has come for a comprehensive agreement that will bring back all hostages – we know more than half are still alive and need immediate rehabilitation, while those who were murdered must be returned for proper burial. We have no more time to waste. A hostage ceasefire agreement must be sealed now!”
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked. A Hamas official, speaking to Reuters anonymously, indicated that any agreement to return hostages would require Israel to withdraw from Gaza and commit to a permanent ceasefire. Israeli officials, however, accuse Hamas of obstructing the process.
Despite U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s cautious optimism about a potential deal, he acknowledged delays could push progress beyond President Joe Biden’s tenure, which ends on January 20, 2025.
The October 7 Hamas attack killed 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken, marking one of the bloodiest episodes in the ongoing conflict. In response, Israel launched a large-scale offensive in Gaza, which has reportedly resulted in over 45,800 Palestinian deaths, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. The Israeli military states that its airstrikes have targeted more than 100 sites linked to Hamas over the weekend, killing dozens of fighters.
As both sides blame each other for stalling ceasefire progress, the hostages’ fate remains precarious. Hamas’s publicizing of the list may aim to increase pressure on Israel, but it also underscores the complex and tragic human cost of this protracted conflict.
The names on the list of hostages provided by Hama include: Romi Gonen (24); Emily Damari (28); Arbel Yehoud (29); Doron Steinbrecher (31); Ariel Bibas (5); Kfir Bibas (1); Shiri Silberman Bibas (33); Liri Albag (19); Karina Ariev (20); Agam Berger (20); Daniel Gilboa (20); Naama Levy (20); Ohad Ben-Ami (55); Gad Moshe Moses (80); Keith Shmuel Siegel (65); Offer Kaldaron (53); Eliyahu Sharabi (52); Itzhak Elgaret (69); Shlomo Mansur (86); Ohad Yahalomi (50); Yousef Yousef Alziadna (54); Oded Lifshitz (84); Tsachi Idan (50); Hisham al-Sayed (36); Yarden Bibas (35); Sagi Dekel Chen (36); Iair Horn (46); Omer Wenkert (23); Alexandre Troufanov (28); Eliya Cohen (27); Or Levy (34); Avera Mengistu (38); Tal Shoham (39); Omer Shem Tov (21).
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