Photos of hostages held in Gaza
Photos of hostages held in GazaDavid Cohen/Flash 90

Sources involved in the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza revealed to Haaretz on Sunday that the final number of hostages to be freed as part of the humanitarian phase of the deal remains uncertain.

Since discussions around a potential "humanitarian deal" began, several hostages who were expected to be included in the agreement have been killed while in captivity, according to the report. Furthermore, the condition of other hostages, who were not originally slated for release, has reportedly deteriorated.

Despite these challenges, sources estimate that the two sides may still be able to finalize an agreement in the coming weeks.

If successful, the deal could be implemented around the time of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in January, the Haaretz report said.

On Friday, for the first time since the current round of talks began, Palestinian Arab sources involved in the negotiations on a hostage release deal expressed cautious optimism about the chances of reaching understandings that could lead to a deal.

The sources, who spoke to Kan 11 News, said there is effective two-way pressure from Qatar and Egypt to achieve a deal, with the United States intensively pushing the mediators. The Palestinian Arab sources noted that Turkey, which has recently become more involved in the matter, is encouraging and pressing Hamas to reach a deal with Israel.

The sources mentioned a sense of fatigue on the part of Hamas but also claimed to have seen fatigue on Israel's side. These conditions, they said, create an understanding that the pressure, encouragement, and mutual fatigue might lead to a breakthrough in the negotiations.

This past Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Hamas is moving closer to a deal with Israel.

For the first time, the report said, Hamas has indicated that it would agree to a deal in which Israeli troops would remain stationed in Gaza, including in the Philadelphi Corridor near the southern border.

It has also provided a list of the remaining hostages to the mediators, a step it has refused since the first ceasefire collapsed.

During previous rounds of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, the United States had been pushing an outline for a ceasefire and hostage release deal that President Joe Biden first laid out in May, but Hamas rejected that proposal and every other proposal that has been presented to it.

More recently, Hamas put out an official statement, saying that it is interested in a deal to end the war which began after it launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

However, in that statement, Hamas again insisted that any agreement must include an end to the war and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.