Media: Israel awaits Hamas hostage list amid negotiations for release deal

Israel remains in a holding pattern as negotiations with Hamas over a potential hostage release deal face significant hurdles.

A security source told The Jerusalem Post on December 22 that Israel is still waiting for Hamas to provide a list of live hostages intended for release, a key component for progressing the talks. “Without the list, advancement on the talks will be extremely difficult, if not impossible,” the source noted, Caliber.Az reports.

Meanwhile, a delegation from a working group was in Qatar on December 22 evening attempting to push negotiations forward. This delegation, however, is not comprised of senior officials.

Despite obstacles, there are signs of movement. Sources informed The Jerusalem Post of “some progress” in the talks but acknowledged “substantial difficulties” remain. “There are gaps—some of which can be bridged, and some are very difficult,” the sources said. This assessment comes a week after reports suggested optimism for reaching a deal.

While progress has been made in narrowing gaps in some areas, sources emphasized that “there are still quite a few difficulties.”

On December 22, Israel’s security cabinet convened in the North for discussions, but ministers were not briefed on the hostage talks. This aligns with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy of limiting knowledge of the negotiations to only a select few.

Adding a new layer of complexity, a Palestinian official involved in the negotiations told the BBC on Saturday that discussions on a hostage deal and a potential ceasefire are “90% complete.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu underscored the need for discretion regarding the negotiations. Addressing a recent conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump, he stated, “We discussed the need to complete Israel’s victory and spoke extensively about the efforts we are making to bring our hostages home. We are working tirelessly to bring back our hostages, both the living and the fallen. I’ll add that the less we talk about this, the better our chances of success, and with God’s help, we will succeed.”

Echoing this sentiment, Defence Minister Israel Katz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, “The less we speak, the better. In my opinion, we are closest to a deal since the last hostage exchange, and it will receive a majority in government if it is brought to a vote.”

As negotiations continue behind closed doors, Israel remains cautiously hopeful, with officials striving to overcome significant challenges to secure the hostages’ release.