Hamas informs Israel: No 40 hostages meeting exchange criteria

According to Hamas, there are no 40 captives who are still alive and qualify under the “humanitarian” standards for a potential hostages-for-prisoners ceasefire agreement with Israel.

A senior Israeli official in Cairo has verified this claim made over the weekend.

Reportedly, the militant group in Gaza does not possess 40 hostages fitting the criteria for exchange, as reported by Guardian UK.

The discussions for a ceasefire have revolved around a proposal backed by the US, involving a phased swap of hostages and prisoners.

The initial phase includes exchanging women, children, elderly or ill individuals, among whom are five female Israeli soldiers, for approximately 900 Palestinian detainees held by Israel, paired with a six-week cessation of hostilities in Gaza.

It seems that Hamas is hesitant to fill the exchange quota with surviving male captives, as per sources.

Obtaining reliable data on the number of surviving hostages, their captors, and locations has proven to be challenging.

CIA director William Burns has tabled a fresh proposal in an attempt to bridge the differences between the negotiating parties.

The US is exerting pressure on Israel to consent to the release of 900 Palestinian prisoners in the initial phase of a three-part agreement and to allow the repatriation of Palestinians to northern Gaza.

The ongoing discussions, recommenced on Sunday, have not yielded any breakthrough on the plan advanced by US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators, which Hamas is reviewing.

During Hamas’s assault on southern Israel on October 7, roughly 240 hostages, including deceased individuals, were taken into Gaza.

As of now, 112 hostages have been repatriated alive to Israel, with 105 of them being part of an earlier exchange last year.