Hamas approves Israeli list of captives to be freed as part of Gaza ceasefire deal

Hamas has approved an Israeli list of captives that need to be freed as part of the first stage of a Gaza ceasefire deal, a source close to negotiations told Middle East Eye on Monday.

The source said that two children, 10 women - five of them soldiers - and 11 people over the age of 50 were among the 34 captives that the Palestinian group would release if a ceasefire deal were reached.

The others were male captives whose release Israel considers urgent, the source added.

Among those on the list, which was shared with MEE, are Kfir Bibas, a toddler, and his brother Ariel, aged five, both of whom Hamas said were killed in Israeli air strikes shortly after the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel.

Also included in the list is 19-year-old soldier Liri Albag, who appeared in a video posted by Hamas at the weekend.

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