Jerusalem, Israel – Amidst ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire deal, Hamas has informed mediators that they are unable to locate 40 Israeli hostages required for the initial phase of the agreement. This revelation has raised concerns that there may be more hostages deceased than publicly reported. The framework proposed by negotiators entails the release of 40 hostages by Hamas during a six-week pause in the conflict. The hostages to be released include women, as well as sick and elderly men, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
International mediators, including Qatar and Egypt, have been apprised by Hamas that they do not possess 40 living hostages who fit the specified release criteria. Additionally, CNN’s findings on the hostages’ conditions support the notion that there are fewer than 40 hostages meeting the outlined requirements. The dilemma surrounding Hamas’s inability or reluctance to disclose which hostages will be released alive poses a significant obstacle to the negotiations. Israel, facing the challenge of Hamas failing to reach the 40-hostage mark, has suggested including younger male hostages, such as soldiers, in the release.
Throughout the extended period of negotiations, Israel has consistently requested a comprehensive list of the hostages and their well-being. Hamas contends that a temporary ceasefire is necessary to locate and assemble the hostages, reiterating a similar argument made in November when a previous ceasefire attempt failed due to Hamas’s failure to produce additional hostages. The majority of the nearly 100 remaining hostages are believed to be male soldiers or men within the military reserve age group. Hamas is anticipated to leverage these hostages in subsequent stages of the negotiations to secure more substantial concessions, possibly including the release of high-profile prisoners and a permanent cessation of hostilities.