Hamas agrees to release 10 hostages during Gaza peace talks

Hamas agreed to release 10 hostages to support Gaza ceasefire talks, but negotiations remain difficult over aid flow, Israeli army withdrawal, and permanent ceasefire guarantees. A partial pullback proposal marks progress.

Gaza: Hamas said on Wednesday that it has agreed to release 10 hostages, while noting that the ongoing Gaza peace talks with Israel still face “difficulty”.

Hamas said in an official statement that it “has shown the necessary flexibility” and agreed to release 10 hostages in a bid to ensure the success of the ongoing efforts, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Key points remain under negotiation, and foremost among them are the flow of aid, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, and the provision of real guarantees for a permanent ceasefire, the statement said.

But there is “the difficulty of negotiations on these issues so far due to the intransigence of the occupation (Israel),” it added.

According to a leading media outlet, Israel has presented a new map in Doha outlining a partial pullback from the Morag Corridor, an area between Rafah and Khan Younis, southern Gaza’s largest city, which Israeli forces have seized and turned into a fortified military zone.

The corridor, established in April, is one of several “security zones” Israel created by razing buildings and infrastructure to divide the enclave. Israeli officials had previously said the military would not withdraw from the Morag Corridor.

The official said that the new proposal marks “substantial progress” in the negotiations.

Negotiating teams have been in Doha since Sunday for indirect talks on a US-backed 60-day ceasefire proposal. The deal would include the release of 10 living hostages and the remains of several others. Israel estimates that around 50 hostages are still held in Gaza, with about 20 believed to be alive.

Israel launched its offensive on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas-led attack that killed about 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage. According to authorities in Gaza, at least 57,680 people have been killed since the start of the war.