From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 12, 2025
Hamas wants high-profile terror convicts in exchange for earlier hostage release — report
Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
Hamas has told mediators it will move up the release of hostages in Gaza to today — earlier than the planned Monday deadline — if Israel agrees to free at least two of seven high-profile Palestinian prisoners it is seeking, the BBC reports.
A new round of talks began this morning between Israel and Hamas to resolve outstanding issues related to the list of prisoners to be released under the first phase of Washington’s Gaza ceasefire deal, the report says, citing a Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations.
Hamas is still pressing for the release of seven high-profile prisoners serving multiple life sentences for involvement in mass casualty terror attacks, including Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat, according to the official.
According to sources cited by the BBC, Israel has consistently rejected their release since the outset of the negotiations, but Hamas is now hoping to secure as few as two of the seven by dangling the possibility of freeing the hostages today rather than tomorrow morning.
It is unclear what will happen if the terror group’s demands are not met, the report continues, adding that the talks today are also focusing on the timing and logistics for the release of the 20 living Israeli hostages and the return of the bodies of the deceased hostages that Hamas is able to locate.
The Times of Israel Community.