Hamas Says It Will Release 10 Hostages As Ceasefire Negotiations Continue

Hamas has agreed to release 10 hostages as part of ongoing ceasefire talks, the terror group said in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement did not say when the release would take place or which hostages may be freed as negotiations over a possible ceasefire continue. The terror group said that it continues to act “seriously and in a positive spirit with the mediators in order to overcome the obstacles,” according to The Times of Israel.

The statement from Hamas identified several points of disagreement between the terror group and Israeli negotiators, including the flow of aid into the Gaza Strip, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and “genuine guarantees for a permanent ceasefire,” according to Reuters.

The list of unresolved issues has apparently grown since U.S. foreign envoy Steve Witkoff said earlier this week that the number of sticking points between the two sides had shrunk to just one.

“We’re in proximity talks now, and we had four issues, and now we’re down to one after two days of proximity talks. So, we are hopeful that by the end of this week, we will have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire,” Witkoff said Tuesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington this week in part to discuss the situation in Gaza with President Donald Trump. Trump hinted Wednesday that ceasefire negotiations are “close.”

“We want to have a ceasefire,” said the president. “We want to have peace. We want to get the hostages back. And I think we’re close to doing it.”

Netanyahu told reporters that while both he and Trump want a ceasefire, there are some non-negotiable items that must be a part of any deal.

“President Trump wants a deal, but not at any price. I want a deal, but not at any price,” said the prime minister. “Israel has security requirements and other requirements, and we’re working together to try to achieve it.”

Israel has repeatedly said that no ceasefire deal can be agreed to that leaves Hamas in place in the Gaza Strip. That war aim has remained unchanged since Israeli forces invaded Gaza following the terror group’s October 7 terror attack that killed roughly 1,200 people. Hamas militants and Gazans who joined the attack abducted about 250 others as hostages.