Hamas has agreed to a list of 34 Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, submitted by Israel, to be included in a prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement, Reuters reported, citing a Hamas official. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly denied this, claiming that Hamas has not yet handed over the names of the hostages.

Reuters news agency quoted a Hamas official as saying that "the movement agreed to a list of 34 detainees presented by Israel, to be exchanged for prisoners in a ceasefire agreement."

The same source added that the movement "does not see any response from Israel regarding the withdrawal from Gaza or the ceasefire agreement."

He stressed that "any agreement will depend on the approval of Israel's withdrawal and a ceasefire."

In contrast, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office was quick to deny this, saying in a brief statement, "Contrary to what is being claimed, Hamas has not yet provided a list of the names of the kidnapped."

The Walla website quoted an Israeli official as saying that Hamas "agreed to a list of 34 names of the kidnapped," but he added that the movement "has not yet determined the number of those who are alive or dead."

This comes as Mossad chief David Barnea heads to the Qatari capital, Doha, tomorrow, Monday, to continue negotiations on a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

Israeli estimates: Partial deal reduces chances of releasing remaining prisoners in Gaza

Channel 12 Israel quoted unnamed Israeli sources on Sunday evening as saying that "there is significant progress" in the negotiations.

The same sources added that "it is too early to congratulate the final (form), and there is still a lot to be accomplished."

Axios reported, quoting an American official, that "Brett McGurk, senior advisor to (US President Joe) Biden, has arrived in Doha to join the ceasefire talks in Gaza."

But despite the recent optimism expressed by the Israeli side, and Hamas leaders talking about the increased chances of reaching a deal, two Israeli sources familiar with the work of the negotiating team and the parties in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office involved in prisoner exchange talks with Hamas said that the gap between Hamas and Benjamin Netanyahu’s government remains “wide and deep,” according to what the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Sunday, indicating the widening gap between the two sides on a number of issues.

Negotiations seek 'comprehensive interim agreement'

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper reported on its website on Sunday evening, citing informed Palestinian sources, that the ongoing negotiations in Doha are looking for a “comprehensive interim agreement,” noting that the negotiations are still ongoing in light of the existence of some outstanding points.

According to the report, a leader of the Palestinian factions denied the accuracy of the leaks claiming that Hamas leaders had left the Gaza Strip as part of the Israeli conditions for completing the agreement, and said, “These are leaks within the framework of the media war.”

He added, "During the negotiations, Hamas refused to remove all of the prisoners with high sentences, and after marathon negotiations, it was agreed that the number of prisoners with high sentences to be removed would not exceed fifty prisoners, which is a very small percentage, compared to the number of those who will be released within this category."

He stated that there is no talk of a partial agreement or a partial deal, stressing that what is being negotiated is a comprehensive, interim agreement for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of the occupation army from Gaza.

In the same context, he said, "All that is being circulated about a partial agreement is completely false."

According to another leader in the Palestinian factions, the approval to include a number of names that the occupation government requested to be added to the list of Israeli prisoners who will be released in the first phase of the proposed agreement did not result in a change in the occupation government’s position regarding the Palestinian prisoners who are called “the heavyweights in the resistance leadership.”

He said that these are on a list that will not be included in the first phase of the agreement.

The source stated that in exchange for the resistance including the names of 12 prisoners whom it considered to be soldiers, due to their ages being less than 50 years, the movement stipulated that the first phase include a large number of Palestinian prisoners with long sentences in the occupation’s prisons.