A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Hamas has named 34 Israeli hostages in Gaza - including two dual U.S. citizens - it says it is willing to release a ceasefire deal under negotiation with Israel. It's the most serious sign of progress toward a pause in the 15-month war between Israel and Hamas. NPR's Daniel Estrin is now on the line from the field in Jerusalem. Daniel, so we've heard about so many ceasefire efforts over so many months, and none of them has been successful. Anything different now about this one?
DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: There is a little bit that's different. Hamas is projecting optimism. A Hamas leader on Monday said that most of the issues are resolved. And Israeli officials are mostly quiet, which actually suggests that there is some movement behind the scenes. I think the major factor now is that President Trump is entering the White House in just under two weeks. Trump on Monday repeated his ultimatum that if hostages are not freed by his inauguration January 20, quote, "there will be hell to pay."
So there are talks continuing in Qatar now. The framework of the deal has been known for a long time. It would be exchanging Palestinian prisoners held by Israel for Israeli hostages captured by Hamas in the October 7 attacks. What is new here is that for the first time, Hamas has named 34 hostages that it's willing to release.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. And 34, though, that's not all the hostages in Gaza. I mean, what about the others?
ESTRIN: Yeah, it's just about a third of the approximately 100 hostages still being held in Gaza - some of them alive, some of them dead. The young male soldiers would continue to be held in Gaza if this interim deal goes through. The reason this would be just a partial deal is that Hamas will not give up all of the hostages until Israel is ready to permanently end the war. And families of Israeli hostages are upset at this negotiation, this deal coming through now because their priority is the release of all of the hostages. There is one mother of a hostage who gave a press conference, Meirav Leshem Gonen, and she addressed President Trump directly. Let's listen.
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MEIRAV LESHEM GONEN: You are the most powerful and strongest leader in the world. Please don't let any hostage stay behind. Please make sure all hostages are coming back home.
ESTRIN: And it's notable you hear many Israeli hostage families turning not to their own Israeli leadership but to President-elect Trump.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, who would be released if this deal indeed comes through?
ESTRIN: Well, it's a group of hostages that Israel considers humanitarian cases - female soldiers, civilian women, two infants and 22 men of various ages who either have chronic illnesses or who are fathers. And that group includes dual U.S.-Israeli nationals Sagui Dekel-Chen and Keith Siegel. There still are a lot of details to negotiate. This is definitely not a done deal. Israel wants to know exactly who among this list is alive. And if Hamas exchanges that information with Israel, that could provide a breakthrough. But that is still one major stumbling block to resolve.
MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR's Daniel Estrin reporting from Jerusalem. Thank you.
ESTRIN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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