The Qatar-owned news organisation Al-Araby Al-Jadeed‘s exclusive report was denied by Israel despite evidence suggesting its verity.

Qatar-owned online newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza have reached an advanced stage. The report also noted that the names of captives have been exchanged through the mediators involved in the deal.

The source said that technical committees within Palestinian resistance group Hamas, as well as Egyptian and Israeli officials, have begun hashing out details on implementing a captives and detainee exchange agreement.

The source also revealed that Hamas had handed mediators from Egypt a preliminary list, pending approval from an Israeli delegation that have reportedly began examining the names and proposal.

According to the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed report, Qatar, Turkey and the United States were also supervising the negotiations.

The Qatari daily claimed that an Israeli delegation would be in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss key terms of the agreement, which also include the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from areas of the besieged Gaza Strip and the beginning of a transitional period.

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also said that Hamas agreed to a 60-day transitional period during which all food, medicine and fuel needs of the Gaza Strip would be brought in.

However, Times of Israel reported that a statement was sent to the captives families on Monday.

Israel said the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed‘s report on Hamas’ willingness to share the listed hostages to mediators as part of the ongoing ceasefire talks was “not correct.”

“In recent hours, reports emerged in the Arab press regarding negotiations to bring the hostages home. These reports, that have also been published in Israel, are not correct.”

During a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the collapse of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime brought in “another opening to making progress on a deal that will bring our hostages back”.

Netanyahu took the stand in court on Tuesday on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases in a long-awaited, historic trial. If Netanyahu is convicted, he could face up to 10 years behind bars.

Analysts say that Netanyahu’s war on Gaza is a method of retaining control and power over the Israeli public by pushing the concept that Israel is under the state of war, despite growing rage and distrust among his own people due to his dragging out of Israel’s brutal onslaught on Gaza and delaying a ceasefire deal that could see the release of almost 100 captives.

Despite this, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that chances for an deal were more positive than before during a press conference in Jerusalem

“We can be more optimistic than before, but we are not there yet. I hope we will get there.”

“There will not be a ceasefire in Gaza without a hostage deal,” Sa’ar said.

Sa’ar suggested that Hamas’s demands to end the war and a full withdrawal of the occupation forces from Gaza “might have changed in recent times.”

“So if both parties are interested in an agreement, there is a better chance it will be achieved,” he added.

Reuters also reported that Hamas had asked factions in Gaza to provide an account of all captives, dead or alive.

In Doha, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson Majid al-Ansari noted that “pressure must be applied on all parties, not just one party, regarding the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza”.

Al-Ansari also added that communications are ongoing regarding negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza and it is too early to talk about any developments