Hamas is ready to release 34 Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip. Israel has been negotiating with Egyptian and Qatari mediation, but the ceasefire has broken down. A resumption of dialogue is planned in Qatar, with an Israeli delegation participating.
Israeli attacks kill 48 more Gazans as death toll passes 45,850
At least 48 more Palestinians have been killed in ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 45,854, the enclave’s health ministry said on Monday.
Some 109,139 others were wounded in the attacks, the ministry statement added. It also said:
“Israeli troops killed 48 people and wounded another 75 in three massacres of families in the past 24 hours. Many people are still under rubble and on the roads as rescuers cannot reach them.”
Israel has continued its war in the Gaza Strip since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
The second year of war in Gaza has drawn increasing international condemnation, with officials and organisations calling the attacks and blocking of aid supplies a deliberate attempt to destroy the population.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel, Hamas argue over potential deal to release 34 hostages
Israel said on Monday that Hamas has yet to provide information on the status of 34 hostages the group has said it is ready to release in the first phase of a potential swap deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement after a Hamas spokesman provided a list of captives the group is prepared to release:
“Israel has not yet received any confirmation or comment from Hamas regarding the status of the hostages on the list. The list of hostages … was not provided to Israel by Hamas, but was originally given by Israel to mediators in July 2024.”
Mediators Qatar, Egypt and the US have been trying for months to broker an agreement to end the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Negotiators from both sides have been holding indirect talks in Doha in recent days.
A senior Hamas official told AFP late Sunday that the group had agreed to release 34 hostages. The official said:
“Hamas has agreed to release 34 Israeli prisoners from a list submitted by Israel as part of the first phase of the prisoner swap deal.”
The Hamas official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss ongoing negotiations with the media, said the initial exchange would include all women, children, elderly and sick captives still held in Gaza.
Humanitarian ceasefire
A one-week humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was reached in late November 2023 with the support of Egypt and Qatar. During this period, according to the Israeli side, 110 hostages were released. However, on December 1, the ceasefire was broken and fighting resumed in the Palestinian enclave. Despite repeated consultations during 2024 with the participation of Egypt, Qatar and the US, the parties to the conflict failed to reach an agreement on the terms of the deal.
On January 2, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a delegation from the country would soon travel to Qatar to resume negotiations on the release of hostages held by Hamas. The last round of talks involving Israeli representatives took place in Doha at the end of 2024 before returning to their country on December 24.
