Israel says negotiations with Hamas over a potential prisoner swap have hit a roadblock due to refusal from the militant group’s leader, Mohammed Sinwar, to release the list of living hostages. An Israeli official stated that without the list, it’s impossible to reach an agreement.
The talks took place in Qatar and involved a working-group delegation, but they will now return for consultations after over a week. The official added that while progress has been made, a deal is unlikely to be reached soon.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed on October 16, and his brother Mohammed has taken his place as the top figure in Hamas. Despite this, he is refusing to hand over the list of hostages, causing a roadblock in talks with Israel.
However, a Palestinian official said that negotiations are almost complete for a ceasefire agreement. The security cabinet met last week to discuss the talks, but details were kept secret from most ministers.
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-834765