Hamas submits list of prisoners it wants released in exchange for Israeli hostages

A senior Hamas official, Taher Nunu, announced, on Wednesday, that the militant group has submitted list of prisoners it wants Israel to release as part of a potential hostage exchange deal under negotiation in Egypt.

In a statement issued through Hamas’s official channels, Nunu said that both sides exchanged lists during the talks, one detailing the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, and the other listing Palestinian prisoners Hamas wants freed, including those serving life sentences for terror-related offenses and Gazans detained since the start of the war.

“The lists of prisoners were exchanged today in accordance with the agreed criteria and numbers,” Nunu said, without providing specific details about the identities or total number of detainees requested for release.

He added that discussions are also focused on the mechanisms for ending the war in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.

“The mediators are making great efforts to remove every obstacle to the implementation of a ceasefire, and there is an optimistic spirit among everyone,” Nunu said.

Hamas confirmed that Nunu is personally present in Sharm el-Sheikh, where the latest round of Egyptian- and Qatari-brokered negotiations is underway.

The announcement comes as mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States intensify efforts to finalize the first stage of the U.S.-backed plan aimed at securing the release of all remaining hostages and bringing an end to the two-year-long war in Gaza.