During discussions for a truce in Gaza, Hamas acknowledged that 40 hostages are no longer alive, as reported. Nearly two days after the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) suggested advancing a deal between Israel and Hamas to secure the release of these captives in Gaza, Hamas purportedly stated that it doesn’t possess the 40 hostages in the humanitarian category who are still alive.
Yaron Avraham, a political reporter and presenter at News 12, indicated that Hamas informed the mediators that the actual number of surviving hostages is significantly lower. The group clarified that those deceased include women, children, the elderly, and the sick.
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The US had proposed a deal for the safe release of hostages in exchange for a six-week ceasefire. This development followed CIA director Bill Burns’ meeting with the head of Israel’s Mossad, the Prime Minister of Qatar, and the Egyptian spy chief in Cairo on Sunday, aiming to resolve the impasse in negotiations.
Concurrently, a senior Hamas delegation was present in Cairo, holding separate discussions with Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The proposed deal also entails the release of over 700 Palestinian prisoners, including more than 100 serving life sentences for killing Israelis.
On Monday, a Hamas official informed Reuters that the group rejected the Israeli ceasefire proposal from talks in Cairo. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a scheduled invasion of Rafah, Gaza’s last refuge for displaced Palestinians.
According to a Reuters report, Hamas declared on Tuesday that the proposal received from Qatari and Egyptian mediators did not meet the demands of Palestinian factions. Describing the proposal as “intransigent,” Hamas stated it would review the offer and provide its response to the mediators.
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As reported by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, more than 33,000 Palestinians have perished in Gaza since the outbreak of the war on October 7. Out of the 253 individuals Hamas seized on October 7, 133 hostages remain in captivity. Negotiators have discussed the possibility of approximately 40 being freed in the initial stage of a potential agreement.
