Hamas Agrees to Release 10 Israeli Hostages as Gaza Ceasefire Talks Underway

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hamas announced on Wednesday evening, local time, that they agreed to release 10 hostages in the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel, which they deem as "tough."

In an official statement as reported by Mina News on Thursday, July 10, 2025, Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said their group has agreed to the latest ceasefire proposal and “offered the necessary flexibility to protect our people, stop the crime of genocide, and allow the free and dignified entry and flow of aid to our people until we reach a complete end to the war.”

He added that the areas to be targeted by Israeli forces as part of the first phase of the ceasefire must be designed in a way that does not affect the lives of Palestinians and “paves the way for the second phase of negotiations”. 

Al-Nunu said Hamas has shown the "necessary flexibility" to support the current ceasefire talks. 

Several key issues are still being negotiated, and some of the most important points include aid flows, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and solid guarantees for a permanent ceasefire, the statement said.

However, there have been difficulties in negotiating these issues so far due to Israel's stubborn stance, Hamas said in its statement.

According to Israel's state television Kan TV, Israel has submitted a new map in Doha outlining a partial retreat from the Morag Corridor, an area between Rafah and Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza, which has been seized by Israeli forces and turned into a fortified military zone.

The corridor, established last April, is one of several 'security zones' created by Israel by destroying buildings and infrastructure to separate the pocket area.

Negotiating teams have been in Doha since Sunday for indirect talks on a 60-day ceasefire proposal supported by the United States.

Hamas' statement on Wednesday came as Israeli forces killed at least 74 people in Gaza, and U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated hopes for an imminent ceasefire.

In Washington, DC, Trump, who had met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House twice this week, said there was a "very good chance" for a ceasefire in Gaza, although his latest comments seemed to lower his expectations.

“I think we have a chance this week or next week. Not definitely. There’s nothing definite about war and Gaza and all the other places that we deal with so much,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, in Israel, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said in a televised speech that “conditions have been created” for progress toward an agreement that would free 10 living detainees and nine other bodies.

Despite the prospect of a ceasefire, Israeli forces continue to attack various parts of the enclave, killing at least 74 people on Wednesday, eight of whom died while waiting for food at a distribution point by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) supported by Israel and the U.S.

“Unfortunately, this has become the norm, characterized by the ongoing bombardment and forced starvation and dehydration. People are getting killed trying to get food,” said Hani Mahmoud from Al Jazeera, reporting from Gaza City.

The killings also occurred as health officials once again pleaded for the desperately needed fuel to enter hospitals on the brink of destruction, with patients' lives at stake.

Gaza's battered healthcare system has been repeatedly attacked by Israel during the onslaught. Hospitals and clinics have been bombed or damaged, medical staff have been killed or forced to flee, and vital supplies have been cut off.

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that there have been over 600 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza since the conflict began in October 2023.

The besieged health sector is on its knees with severe shortages of fuel and medical supplies, and a continuous wave of mass casualties, it said. Only 18 out of 36 public hospitals in Gaza are partially functioning, according to the UN agency.

Meanwhile, former Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "abandon his stubbornness" and reach an agreement to return the hostages and establish a "permanent" ceasefire in Gaza, according to Israeli Channel 7, as reported by Anadolu.

On Tuesday night, Trump met with Netanyahu at the White House for the second time in 24 hours, discussing a Gaza ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal.

Delegations from Hamas and Israel continued negotiations in the Qatari capital, Doha, to end the genocidal war that has claimed the lives of over 57,000 Palestinian civilians since October 2023.

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