Hamas demands Israel release high-profile prisoners including Marwan Barghouti, as ceasefire talks continue

Mediators on Tuesday begun discussions about which Palestinian prisoners could be released from Israeli prisons under a deal with Hamas on the second day of Gaza ceasefire talks.

Egyptian state-affiliated media reported that Hamas is demanding that Israel release several high-profile prisoners in exchange for the 48 captives remaining in Gaza.

These include Marwan Barghouti, a senior leader in Fatah seen by many as a potential successor to Mahmoud Abbas, and Ahmad Sa'adat, the former head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The list also includes Abbas al-Sayyid and Hassan Salameh, former Hamas commanders serving multiple life sentences.

The report came at the end of a second day of indirect ceasefire talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, where mediators hope to secure a captive exchange deal in the coming days.

Sources familiar with the discussions said that the Palestinian group has reiterated its readiness to hand over the captives but called for clear guarantees that Israel would not resume the war after their release, Egypt's Al-Qahera News reported.

Hamas's delegation is being led by Khalil al-Hayya - who survived Israel's assassination attempt in Doha last month - while Israel's strategic affairs minister and Netanyahu confidante Ron Dermer is heading up Israel's negotiating team.

Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are also in Sharm el-Sheikh.

In a televised statement, Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum laid out a list of demands, including a permanent end to the war, Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza and a "fair" prisoner exchange deal.

He also called for the return of displaced people to their homes, the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid, and an immediate start to the reconstruction process.

Mediators are focused on achieving an initial agreement to release the captives held in Gaza in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners and a partial pullback of Israeli troops.

More contentious issues - such as Hamas's disarmament and Israel's withdrawal from Gaza - would be tackled after a captive-prisoner exchange agreement is finalised.

Trump talked up the prospect of a deal being stuck on Sunday, saying that talks had been "very successful" and were "proceeding rapidly".

"I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST," he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The 20-point peace plan, announced last Monday, plans for reconstruction, the formation of a new Gaza administration, and the deployment of an international peacekeeping force.

It would see a gradual Israeli pullback from Gaza and large amounts of aid enter the territory if Hamas agrees to release the captives.

Around 48 Israelis are thought to remain inside Gaza, but only around 20 are thought to be still alive.

At least ten people were killed in Gaza on Tuesday as Israeli forces continued their assault. The attacks were concentrated in Khan Younis and Gaza City, which has been the

Hamas's October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.

At least 67,173 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's genocidal response, with thousands of uncounted victims thought to be buried beneath the rubble.

Israeli forces have decimated the territory and imposed a crippling siege on its 2.2 million residents, leading to the starvation deaths of hundreds.