Hamas on Wednesday, July 9, said it would release 10 hostages as part of Gaza ceasefire talks after Israel struck an upbeat note about the prospects for a deal to stop the fighting in the embattled Palestinian territory.
The Islamist group's statement came after four days of indirect talks brokered by Qatar and as the United States signalled its belief that an agreement for a 60-day truce would be struck before the end of the week.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff said part of the deal would be the return of 10 living hostages held by militants since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which sparked the war. Of 251 hostages seized during the assault on Israeli border communities near Gaza, 49 are still held in the territory, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
In its statement, Hamas said key hurdles remained in the talks, notably the free flow of aid into Gaza, Israeli military withdrawal from the territory and "real guarantees" for a lasting peace. But it added: "The movement displayed the required flexibility and agreed to release 10 prisoners (hostages). "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 and end the suffering of our people and ensure their aspirations to freedom, safety and a dignified life."
Israel earlier appeared to fall in behind US President Donald Trump and his optimism for an end to the conflict, as the talks in Doha stretched into a fourth day with reported complaints on its stance on aid.
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 on Tuesday night was still uncompromising in his determination to crush Hamas, said he believed an agreement was on the horizon. "I think we're getting closer to a deal," he told FOX Business Network's Mornings. "There's a good chance that we'll have it."
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also said he thought a temporary deal was "achievable" and could even herald talks for a more lasting peace, while President Isaac Herzog talked of "a historic opportunity" for change.