A senior Hamas official told Agence France-Presse on Sunday that the Palestinian militant group was ready to release 34 Israeli hostages in the “first phase” of a potential prisoner exchange deal.

“Hamas has agreed to release 34 Israeli prisoners from a list presented by Israel as part of the first phase of a prisoner exchange deal,” the official said.

The Hamas official, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to discuss continuing indirect negotiations with the media, said the 34 hostages to be included in the initial swap include all the women, children, elderly people and sick captives still held in Gaza.

The official said Hamas requires time to determine whether they were alive.

“Hamas has agreed to release the 34 prisoners, whether alive or dead. However, the group needs a week of calm to communicate with the captors and identify those who are alive and those who are dead,” the official said.