CNN
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Hamas has approved an Israeli list of 34 hostages to be exchanged in a potential ceasefire agreement, Reuters reported, citing Hamas officials.
The Israeli government denied receiving a list of hostages from Hamas, but did not respond directly to the Reuters report.
Reuters reported on Sunday, citing unnamed Hamas officials, that the release of the hostages would be conditional on Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and reaching an agreement on a permanent ceasefire.
Israel and Hamas also continue to negotiate the number and identity of Palestinian prisoners and detainees who will be released in exchange for hostages.
A Reuters report suggests that the list was provided by Israel.
However, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office appears to be questioning this report.
“Contrary to claims, Hamas has not yet submitted a list of hostages,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
CNN asked the prime minister’s office whether Israel had submitted a list of the 34 hostages.
It is not clear which hostages are included in the list reported by Reuters, whether they are alive or dead. In recent weeks, Israel has told CNN that it has not yet received a complete list of living hostages from the extremist group.
The move comes days after indirect negotiations on a hostage ceasefire agreement resumed in Doha, but Israeli and Egyptian officials say talks have so far shown little sign of progress.
Officials in Qatar’s capital include White House Middle East adviser Brett McGurk, a U.S. official and another person told CNN. Meanwhile, Israeli Strategy Minister Ron Dermer is scheduled to visit Washington this week to meet with Biden and Trump transition officials, Israeli officials said.
On Saturday, Hamas increased pressure on Israel during negotiations, releasing a video of 19-year-old hostage Lili Arbag.
Al-Bagh’s family called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seize the opportunity to reach a cease-fire agreement, saying the footage “torn our hearts.”
As of December 5, Hamas still held 100 hostages in the Gaza Strip, most of whom were abducted in a cross-border attack by the militant group on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli authorities. More than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 were taken hostage. .
At least 36 hostages still being held in Gaza are believed to have died, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
CNN has reached out to Hamas and the Hostage Families Forum for comment.
Israeli attacks in Gaza continued on Sunday while negotiations in Doha were ongoing.
Israeli military attacks on residential buildings in northern Gaza have killed 12 members of the same family and left many more trapped under rubble, according to the Gaza Civil Defense Agency.
The Zuhad family’s home in Sheikh Radwan, north of Gaza City, was targeted in four airstrikes, the Civil Defense Department said.
CNN footage from the aftermath of the strike shows people desperately digging through the wreckage in search of survivors. Ammar Zuhad told CNN that one child was pulled alive from the rubble and 11 others were missing.
The footage also shows the lifeless body of a young man hanging from the upper floor of the house. “This is my nephew. Do you see how he is hanging? He was a young man, not yet married. He was 20 years old and just starting his life,” Zuhad said. .
CNN has asked the Israeli military for comment on the target of the attack.
Local Palestinians told CNN they were concerned that the Sheikh Radwan area was becoming a “red zone” amid destruction.
“They are now attacking us every day, dropping missiles and bombs among people by drones. Everyone is at risk of being bombed at any time,” said Wissam Zhoud. Ta.
The director of Al-Ahly Baptist Hospital in Gaza City said his hands were full treating the casualties.
“Operating theaters are packed with seriously injured patients, corridors are filled with people waiting for surgery, beds are occupied by people in pain, gates are crowded with bodies destined for burial. ” Dr. Fadel Naim posted on X.
“I have never seen such devastation,” he said, adding that if the Israeli attacks did not end soon, hospitals “will no longer be able to cope with the influx of victims.”
Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Sunday that 88 people had died in the past 24 hours, bringing the cumulative death toll from Israel’s war against Hamas to at least 45,805 and 109,000 deaths in the enclave as a result of Israeli military operations since October. More than one person was reported injured. 2023.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
