Hamas has named 34 hostages, some of them believed to have died in captivity, who it says it would return to Israel in the first phase of an evolving if still elusive ceasefire in Gaza.

Israel said Monday that Hamas had not yet provided the status of 34 hostages the group declared it was ready to release in the first phase of a potential exchange deal.Late on Sunday, a senior Hamas official told AFP the group had "agreed to release 34 Israeli prisoners from a list presented by Israel as part of the first phase of a prisoner exchange deal".

The agreement is part of the first phase of a potential three-stage ceasefire but Israel is unlikely to accept a ceasefire without finalising the release of hostages

The White House is hoping to see a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas concluded before Joe Biden leaves office, Antony Blinken has said.

A Hamas official indicated that the group was ready to release 34 hostages, including women, children, and the elderly, as part of the “first phase” of a prisoner exchange deal. However, the official acknowledged the need for additional time to verify the condition of the captives.

The son of a founding member of Hamas has warned Israel must not “rejuvenate” the terrorist group by releasing its most dangerous members – including his father – from jail as part of a hostage deal.

Israel said Hamas had not yet provided the status of 34 hostages the group declared it was ready for a potential exchange deal.

A senior Hamas official has shared with the BBC a list of 34 hostages that the Palestinian group says it is willing to release in the first stage of a potential ceasefire agreement with Israel. It is unclear how many hostages remain alive.

Hamas has approved an Israeli list of 34 hostages to be exchanged in a possible ceasefire deal, Reuters reported, citing a Hamas official.

Palestinian militant group Hamas has approved a list of 34 hostages presented by Israel to be exchanged in a possible ceasefire deal, a group official told Reuters on Sunday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter,