Israel Confirms Death Of 31 Hostages While US, Qatar & Egypt Mediate For Ceasefire With Hamas

Israel confirmed that 31 hostages taken by Hamas are dead, this comes at a time when mediators of US, Qatar & Egypt drafted a ceasefire plan for Israel and Hamas.

Israel has informed the families of 31 people who were held hostage by Hamas since October 7 that they are dead. According to a report by Reuters, Israel's chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated on Tuesday that 31 of the remaining hostages held in Gaza were dead.

“We have informed 31 families that their captured loved ones are no longer among the living and that we have pronounced them dead," he told a regular media briefing.

Israel has said 136 hostages are still being held in Gaza. More than a fifth of the remaining 136 hostages in Gaza corresponds to the number of casualties reported, as per Israeli military intelligence, reported the Guardian.

Noting that the number was that high number of deceased hostages, surpassing previous disclosures, seems to have escalated scrutiny of the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu government's management of the crisis. This development has fueled anger among numerous families of the hostages.

US, Qatar and Egypt Mediate Diplomatic Push Between Hamas & Israel

Meanwhile, the US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators initiated a diplomatic push to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas regarding a ceasefire plan. This occurred after the Palestinian group responded to a proposal for an extended pause in fighting and the release of hostages. On Tuesday, Hamas replied to a framework drawn up more than a week ago by the US and Israeli spy chiefs at a meeting in Paris with the Egyptians and Qataris. 

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Hamas expressed a positive stance, "in a positive spirit, ensuring a comprehensive and complete ceasefire, ending the aggression against our people, ensuring relief, shelter, and reconstruction, lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip, and achieving a prisoner swap", reported Reuters. 

Reaction From Mediators 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, currently on a swift tour of the Middle East, stated he would address Hamas' response during discussions with Israeli officials when he visits the country on Wednesday. On a lightning tour of the Middle East, Blinken said he would discuss the Hamas response with Israeli officials when he visits the country on Wednesday.

In Doha, Blinken said, "There’s still a lot of work to do ... but we continue to believe that an agreement is possible, and indeed essential."

The Qatari prime minister revealed that Hamas had responded "generally positively" to proposals for a potential agreement involving a ceasefire, the release of Palestinian prisoners in turn of hostages.

According to The Guardian, without going into details, Qatar’s Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that Hamas's response to proposals drawn up by the US and Israel and tabled more than a week ago "inspires optimism". His country is acting as the mediator between the two sides. 

"We will discuss all the details of the proposed framework with the concerned parties to reach an agreement on the final formula as soon as possible," Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt's State Information Service, was quoted as saying by Reuters. 

According Reuters, sources who were close to the talks said that the ceasefire would last 40 days, during which hostages would be released.

Commenting on this, President Joe Biden remarked that Hamas' response indicated "some progress" towards a potential agreement. However, it remains uncertain whether Hamas or Israel are prepared to modify their entrenched stances to facilitate a ceasefire agreement.