Israel and Hamas clashed on Sunday over the terms of a potential deal to end the fighting in Gaza and bring hostages back, as Palestinian officials reported that intensified Israeli airstrikes over the weekend killed more than 100 people.
A Hamas representative claimed the group had agreed on a list of 34 Israeli hostages to be freed as part of a deal that could lead to a ceasefire. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office quickly denied the claim, stating that Hamas had not provided a list. Later, the Hamas official shared the list of 34 hostages with Reuters, confirming that it was willing to release them if a ceasefire agreement could be reached.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire are intensifying in the 15-month conflict between Israel and Hamas, with the goal of securing the return of Israeli hostages before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
The push for a ceasefire comes as Israeli military activity in Gaza escalates. Over the weekend, Israeli airstrikes killed 105 Palestinians, according to medics, while the Israeli military stated that it had killed dozens of Hamas militants.
The U.S. State Department emphasized that Israel must follow international law and do more to protect civilians, but reiterated its support for Israel’s right to self-defense.
Israeli negotiators were sent to Doha on Friday to continue talks brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, with the U.S. administration also involved in the mediation. The Biden administration has urged Hamas to reach an agreement, and while Hamas said it was committed to resolving the issue swiftly, it was unclear how close the sides were to a deal.
A Hamas official told Reuters that any agreement to return Israeli hostages would depend on an agreement for Israel to withdraw from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire. The official added that Israel had not made any progress in negotiations on the ceasefire or withdrawal.
Netanyahu has maintained that the war will only end once Hamas is completely dismantled as a military and governing force.
The conflict began when Hamas militants launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Since then, Israeli military strikes have decimated large parts of Gaza, displacing most of its population. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that 45,805 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict.
The fighting continued on Sunday, with Israeli airstrikes killing five people in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, and another four in Jabalia in the north. Later, an airstrike hit a police station in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing five people, though it was unclear if all of the victims were police officers. Another strike killed three people in Bureij camp in central Gaza, bringing the day’s death toll to 17.
The Israeli military claimed that it had targeted Hamas militants and destroyed rocket-launching sites used in recent attacks on Israel. It also reported the killing of an Islamic Jihad militant who had participated in the October 7 attack on Israel.
