Hamas reportedly approves list of hostages for release, declines to confirm who is still alive

Several outlets claimed Saturday that Hamas transmitted a list of 34 names of Israeli hostages to be released in a potential deal, with some reports providing the names of the hostages, without any indication if the people listed are still alive.

However, after reports of the list were published in various news outlets, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied receiving any list from Hamas so far.

“Contrary to what was claimed, Hamas has yet to provide a list of hostages,” the terse statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stated on Sunday evening. 

The PMO released another statement on Monday, explaining that: "The list of hostages that has been published in the media was not provided to Israel by Hamas but was originally given by Israel to the mediators in July 2024."

"As yet, Israel has not received any confirmation or comment by Hamas regarding the status of the hostages appearing on the list. Israel will continue to act relentlessly for the return of all of our hostages," the statement read.

A representative from Hamas told Reuters it had approved a list of names of hostages to be released in the event of an agreement. 

The official also told Reuters that Hamas would only agree to the release of hostages if Israel agreed to a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of forces from the Gaza Strip. 

The BBC initially also claimed that a Hamas official shared a list of 34 hostages that the terror group is willing to release in the first stage of an agreement with Israel. 

According to that report, the list contained the names of 10 women, 11 older male hostages (between ages 50 and 85), and several young children. 

The reports come just days after Hamas released a propaganda video of hostage Liri Albag, in which she urged the Israeli government to make a deal. 

A list of the potential names was published on the Saudi website Al-Sharq and included three of the four kidnapped members of the Bibas family, Shiri and her two young children Ariel and Kfir Bibas. The list does not specify whether Shiri or her two boys are still alive. Hamas previously claimed they had been killed during an Israeli airstrike on Nov. 30, 2023.

Shiri's husband, Yarden Bibas, also remains in Hamas captivity in Gaza. His status is also unknown, though he is presumed to be alive. Former hostage Nili Margalit, who was released in November 2023, said she was present with Yarden when Hamas terrorists told him that his family had been killed.

The list provided by Al-Sharq also included Albag's name, as well as four other female soldiers taken captive with her during the Hamas invasion and terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Al-Sharq said the Hamas official who spoke with them could not specify who on the list is still alive, repeating the claim that Hamas would need a week of ceasefire to determine the exact number and identities of the living hostages being held by its members or other affiliated terror groups, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad. 

Another Hamas official who spoke with Al-Sharq appeared to confirm that Shiri Bibas and the two boys had been killed, claiming that the terror group offered to release them in the first hostage exchange at the end of November 2023, but that Israel refused. 

The official also said that Hamas later offered to release their bodies during an exchange in previous negotiation attempts but that Israel again refused. 

The Israeli government previously denied claims that it refused to accept the release of the Bibas family during the previous hostage release agreement and has pointed out that Hamas violated the terms of the first ceasefire, leading to a resumption of hostilities. 

The surviving hostages have been in captivity in Gaza for 458 days.