Hamas agrees to release 10 hostages as part of Gaza truce talks
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25 mins ago
HAMAS HAS SAID it has agreed to release 10 hostages held in Gaza as part of ongoing ceasefire talks with Israel, adding it was working to overcome hurdles despite the 'difficulty of negotiations'.
The statement came after four days of indirect talks brokered by Qatar and as the United States signalled its belief that agreement for a 60-day truce would be struck before the end of the week.
'In the framework of [Hamas's] commitment to ensuring the success of ongoing efforts, the movement displayed the required flexibility and agreed to release 10 prisoners,' the group said in a statement.
It said that the 'core points remain under negotiations', notably the flow of aid, Israel's withdrawal and guarantees for a permanent ceasefire.
'Despite the difficulty of negotiations over these issues until now due to the intransigence of the occupation, we continue to work seriously and with a positive spirit with the mediators to overcome the hurdles,' it said.
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Of 251 hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military believes to have died.
Israel earlier appeared to fall in behind US President Donald Trump and his optimism for an end to the conflict.
Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said in a televised address that military action had prepared the ground for a deal that would bring home the Israeli hostages.
Netanyahu, who after talks with Trump in Washington last night was still uncompromising in his determination to crush Hamas, said he believed an agreement was on the horizon.
Hamas has vowed that 'Gaza will not surrender'.
One Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations in Qatar said the Israeli delegation was 'mostly listening rather than negotiating, which reflects Netanyahu's ongoing policy of obstruction and sabotaging any potential agreement'.
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