Hamas says it doesn’t have 40 living hostages for first phase of truce deal

Hamas is unable to deliver 40 living hostages for the first phase of a prospective prisoner exchange deal with Israel, according to Israeli reports citing sources involved with negotiations, raising fears more have died in captivity than thought.

Israel says that 133 hostages are still being held in Gaza more than six months into the war, with dozens thought to be dead.

A broad framework for a deal briefed by negotiators – with talks ongoing – would see Israeli hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners over three phases and a truce in Gaza that would allow more aid to enter the besieged enclave.

The first phase would involve the release of 40 hostages held by Hamas including women, men aged over 50, and captives with health conditions. All children were released in a previous deal last year except the youngest, Kfir Bibas, 1, and his brother Ariel, 4, who Hamas claimed were killed by an Israeli air strike without providing evidence.

But Israel’s Channel 12 News on Monday night cited mediators as saying that Hamas had “no ability to release 40 abductees as part of the humanitarian deal and insists on other numbers – less than [the number sought] by Israel”.

Israel’s Walla News reported the same claim, citing Israeli officials. “During the rounds of negotiations in the last few weeks, Hamas claimed it does not does not have 40 living abductees in this category,” the report stated, adding that Israel had requested the addition of a “single digit number” of fighting-aged men to make up the shortfall to 40.

Israel has not released a breakdown of the categories of hostages held by Hamas. But the group holding at least 14 women and 18 men over 50 thought to be alive, according to a tracker run by Israeli newspaper Haaretz. About a third of the captives suffer from health conditions, according to the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum.

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A spokesperson for the group that represents relatives of captives dismissed the reports as “spins without any proof” but added “they don’t have any time and must be released ASAP”. A rally calling for a deal to secure more hostage releases took place outside the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening.

Gershon Baskin, a veteran Israeli negotiator involved with previous deals to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, said it was plausible that more deaths had occurred than previously acknowledged.

“We have no idea of what condition the hostages are in,” he told i. “We have heard horror stories from those who returned. There are sick and elderly hostages. Those who need medications to survive. They must have a low chance of survival. We believe that it is damp and cold in the tunnels with low levels of oxygen.

“In addition to that, hostages who were kept in homes may be underneath rubble from Israeli bombing.”

Hamas has previously claimed that it does not know where all the hostages are in Gaza since some are held by other militant groups.

Israel’s cabinet is to meet Tuesday night to discuss a prospective deal with Hamas, with the US said to be pushing hard for an agreement.

Talks have previously stalled over several issues including Hamas’s demand for a permanent ceasefire, with Israel offering only a temporary truce, as well as whether residents of northern Gaza can return to their homes, and the number and identity of Palestinian prisoners to be released.