Israel ‘optimistic’ on prospect of hostage deal

Israel is said to be "more optimistic than before" about the chance of reaching an agreement over the hostages, amid reports that Hamas had asked for lists of all the hostages still held by terror groups in Gaza.

Mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza that would include the release of hostages have advanced to the point where the sides are discussing lists of those who would be released, according to a Monday report.

Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Saar said indirect negotiations were taking place over the return of 100 hostages held in Gaza. Saar said: "We can be more optimistic than before but we are not there yet. I hope we will be there.

"There will not be a ceasefire in Gaza without a hostage deal,” the minister told a press conference in Jerusalem

He reiterated Israel's position that the hostages held in Gaza must be returned before Israel stops fighting in Gaza: "There will not be a ceasefire in Gaza without a hostage deal”.

According to Reuters, a Palestinian official with knowledge of the mediation talks said Hamas had asked terror factions in Gaza to start listing the names of hostages in their custody, dead or alive.

A Hamas delegation was in Cairo on Sunday and reportedly delivered a list of elderly or unwell hostages who would be released during the initial stages of a proposed ceasefire, according to the Qatari-owned, London-based al-Araby al-Jadeed news outlet. The delegation reportedly gave the names of four hostages with US citizenship.

Hamas reportedly also gave the Egyptians a list of Palestinian prisoners in Israel that it wants released in exchange for hostages

An Israeli negotiating delegation was set to arrive in Cairo on Monday.

The news comes after a series of negotiations failed to reach an agreement for a ceasefire and a hostage release deal after the agreement reached in late November 2023, when 105 hostages were released in a weeklong truce.

US President-elect Donald Trump threatened that there would be “hell to pay” if the hostages were not released by the time he enters office at the end of January.

According to al-Araby al-Jadeed’s, the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey are all involved in the latest mediation talks.

Israel believes that 96 of the 251 hostages kidnapped on October 7 are still in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF. Since the start of the war, IDF troops have rescued eight hostages and recovered the bodies of 38.

According to reports, the latest proposal suggested by Egypt would involve a phased IDF withdrawal from Gaza over a two month ceasefire, during which time sides would work to permanently end the fighting.

A previous sticking point has been Hamas’s refusal to meet Israel’s demand for troop presence in Gaza.

Reports suggest that among Egyptian officials, there is optimism that a deal can be reached before Trump’s January 20 deadline when he will assume office.