Israeli official says Hamas has made it clear it unable to identify and locate 40 Israeli hostages, necessary for the first stage of the ceasefire agreement.
Under the terms set by negotiators, during the first six-week pause in hostilities, Hamas must release the 40 remaining hostages, including all women, as well as sick and elderly men. In exchange, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli prisons. Hamas told international mediators, including Qatar and Egypt, that he doesn't have 40 living hostagesthat meet these criteria.
CNN data on hostage conditions also shows that There are fewer than 40 hostages left alive who meet the proposed criteria.
Hamas's inability or unwillingness to tell Israel which hostages will be released alive is a major obstacle, the second source added. Because Hamas appears unable to provide 40 people in the proposed categories, Israel is forcing Hamas to fill the gaps in the initial release with younger male hostages, including soldiers, the Israeli official said.
In the months of negotiations since the last ceasefire, Israel has repeatedly demanded a list of hostages and their conditions of detention. Hamas says it needs a break in the fighting to allow the hostages to be identified and taken away. He used the same argument in November before a week-long pause that was cut short after Hamas failed to hand over more hostages.
Most of the almost 100 hostages still alive presumably are men – withIDF soldiers or reservists. Hamas is expected to try to use them in later stages to negotiate more significant concessions, including more high-profile prisoners and a permanent end to the war.
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