A man walks past portraits of leading member of the Fatah party Marwan Barghouti, (L), the most high-profile Palestinian detainee in Israeli custody on Israel's apartheid wall near the Qalandiya checkpoint between Jerusalem and and Ramallah on Sept. 22, 2025. (Photo: Zain Jaafar/AFP)
Taher al-Nounou, a senior Hamas official, stated that Palestinian and Israeli negotiators had exchanged lists of names of prisoners and hostages to be released if an agreement is reached at the end of the cease-fire talks for Gaza, currently taking place in Egypt.
An Egyptian source familiar with the progress of the discussions told the media outlet al-Sharq al-Awsat that the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza could be finalized before Friday if the positive atmosphere surrounding the negotiations continues.
In a statement relayed by Reuters, Hamas emphasized that the group had shown "the necessary positivity and responsibility to achieve the required progress and conclude the agreement." Mediators are making "significant efforts to remove all obstacles to the implementation of the cease-fire" and "an atmosphere of optimism prevails among all parties."
The negotiations have focused mainly on mechanisms to end the war, the withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza, and the exchange of prisoners.
Barghouti and body of Sinwar on the list
According to Palestinian sources in Israel, there is strong opposition to the release of security prisoners from the Arab community who could face life sentences, especially due to their age and the length of their sentences.
Israeli authorities are said to have vetoed or significantly complicated the release of high-profile prisoners from the Arab community, citing their status as Israeli citizens. Currently, 21 prisoners serving long sentences are held in Israeli prisons, including 11 who were convicted before the Oslo Accords in 1993.
Hamas has notably demanded the release of Marwan Barghouti, according to Al-Qahera News. Names included on the prisoner list also include Ahmad Saadat, Hassan Salame, and Abbas Al-Sayyed. Hamas is also seeking to recover the remains of former commanders Yahya Sinwar, ex-Hamas chief, and his brother Mohammad, killed in Gaza in Israeli airstrikes. Yahya Sinwar was one of the main masterminds behind the Oct. 7 attack.
According to the Egyptian source cited by al-Sharq al-Awsat, discussions are also underway to review "Israeli withdrawal maps from Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Deir al-Balah, with possible extensions to other areas."
A preliminary agreement could be reached, the source said, on Thursday or Friday and announced by Trump, but "if obstacles persist, the decision could be postponed until Sunday at the latest." According to this source, the main obstacle remains the ongoing Israeli military operation.
