Hamas said it would release 10 hostages held in Gaza in a bid to reach a ceasefire deal to end 21 months of war in the Palestinian enclave, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted high-level talks in Washington.
As part of its “commitment to the success” of ongoing peace talks, the militant group said in a news release Wednesday, it would free the captives, although it cautioned that the talks with Israel had been difficult. It did not say when the hostages would be freed.
The announcement came as Netanyahu said discussions with President Donald Trump during two meetings in Washington had focused on freeing the hostages who remained held in Gaza. The latest data from Netanyahu's office published last month said 50 hostages remained in the enclave, 28 of whom were classified as dead.
Netanyahu’s visit came just over two weeks after Trump ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli airstrikes. The president then helped arrange a ceasefire after 12 days of fighting.
Netanyahu, in a post on X, added that he had also discussed the potential implications — and possibilities — of the war with Iran with Trump, which he described as a "great victory."
Trump said Wednesday that there was a “very good chance” of a ceasefire deal being reached between Israel and Hamas, suggesting a truce could come as early as this or next week, but emphasized that nothing was guaranteed.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed those comments Thursday, saying that he thought “we’re closer than we’ve been in quite a while” to a ceasefire and that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff was optimistic that proximity talks would be held soon.
His comments came after the Trump administration moved to impose sanctions on United Nations Human Rights Council special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s campaign in Gaza.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X that Albanese was being sanctioned “for her illegitimate and shameful efforts” to prompt International Criminal Court action against U.S. and Israeli “officials, companies, and executives.”
Albanese did not directly address the sanctions, but wrote in a post on X, “Just to be sure, on this day more than ever: I stand firmly and convincingly on the side of justice, as I have always done.”
The possibility of a pause in fighting in Gaza comes after months of failed efforts to secure a deal.
A previous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that ended in March brought around two months of relative calm to the enclave and saw 33 hostages freed in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Since then, Israel has ramped up its military campaign in Gaza, where more than 57,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023, according to health officials in the enclave.
Some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 kidnapped in the Hamas-led attacks in Israel that day, marking a major escalation in a descadeslong conflict.
As talks to secure another ceasefire go on, Israel has continued to strike Gaza from the air and launched ground assaults in the enclave.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, and a case brought by South Africa before the International Court of Justice have accused Israel of genocide in its offensive in Gaza.
Both the U.S. and Israel have rejected the accusation.
