Hostage, ceasefire negotiations 90% finished, Palestinian official claims - BBC

Hostage deal and ceasefire negotiations are 90% complete, a Palestinian official participating in the talks told the BBC on Sunday. 

The official reportedly added that some significant issues remained to be resolved, among which was the presence of Israeli troops in the Philadelphi Corridor, a corridor in southern Gaza that runs parallel to its border with Egypt. 

Last week, Hamas sources told the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese news outlet Al-Akhbar Israel’s demands that Hamas provide it with "a list of the names of all living and deceased prisoners" and that IDF soldiers held hostage in Gaza be included “in lists of prisoners who meet the criteria for the humanitarian phase," were the two main obstacles remaining in the hostage deal/ceasefire negotiations.

The BBC report further cited the official as saying that the deal could include a possible creation of a buffer zone on the border between Israel and Gaza, with Israel maintaining a presence in the area. 

Last week, the Hostages Administration at the Prime Minister's Office updated the families of the hostages on the status of the negotiations, stating, "Although the conditions have improved - there are still challenges ahead; we are working and hoping for a breakthrough."

Sources caution against reports of 'imminent' deal

Sources familiar with the hostage deal negotiations told The Jerusalem Post last week that key issues still remained to be bridged and cautioned against reports of an "imminent" hostage deal.

According to one of the sources who spoke to the Post, Hamas has yet to submit a list detailing the names of the hostages to be released, nor has the terror group presented the names of Palestinian prisoners it wishes to be released in exchange. 

Amichai Stein contributed to this report.