So close, yet so far
DEALBREAKER: This demand could end the Hamas hostage deal
Hamas rejects key condition as negotiations hit new obstacle, Saudi media reports.
A dramatic development in hostage negotiations emerged yesterday (Saturday) as Israel reportedly demands a list of surviving captives before completing the first phase of any deal - a condition Hamas flatly rejects.
According to Saudi newspaper A-Sharq Al-Awsat, Palestinian sources say mediators are scrambling to bridge this new gap before President Trump's deadline expires. Hamas insists such a list should only be provided in the second phase of negotiations.
Key Points of Contention:
- Israel submitted names of 34 hostages for first release, including women, children, elderly men and wounded soldiers, but Hamas claims 11 names don't meet agreed criteria
- Israel offers to free 250 Palestinian prisoners, including life-sentence inmates over age 20, plus minors and ill detainees
- Hamas shows "flexibility" on IDF positions in Gaza but deal stalls over Israeli "pressure"
Palestinian sources say militant groups demonstrated flexibility by dropping demands for complete IDF withdrawal from Gaza, including the Netzarim corridor and Philadelphi route along the Egyptian border.
The report comes as hostage families criticize Prime Minister Netanyahu, accusing him of "wanting to bury them in tunnels" with his negotiating stance.
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