Impossible to reach a deal without Hamas delivering list of living hostages, Israeli official says

“Hamas has yet to deliver the list of hostages who are alive – without it, it’s impossible to reach a deal,” an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.

The official added that although the mediators are pressing hard on Hamas to deliver the list, it seems that Mohammed Sinwar, one of the most prominent figures of Hamas in Gaza and the brother of Yahya Sinwar, is refusing to hand over the list.

Sinwar is believed to have taken over from his brother as leader of Hamas since Yahya was killed by IDF personnel on October 16.

“It’s still possible to continue talking and advancing some issues without the list, but it will be impossible to reach a breakthrough without it,” the official said.

The PMO issued a statement that a working-group delegation is returning from Qatar after more than a week.

Illustrative image of Mossad director David Barnea and Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. (credit: Canva, FLASH90, REUTERS, REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari/Pool)

“It was a long negotiation, and now there will be consultations,” the official said. “There has been some progress in the talks, but it doesn’t seem a deal is going to be reached soon.”

A senior Israeli official cited in a Walla report clarified that the recall of the team “is not due to a breakdown in negotiations.”

Talks not breaking down

On Sunday, the security cabinet met for a discussion in the North, and like last week, the ministers were not updated on the talks for the deal as part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to limit as much as possible those who know what is really happening in the closed rooms.

On Saturday, a Palestinian official participating in the talks told the BBC that the hostage deal and ceasefire negotiations are 90% complete.

Amir Bohbot and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.