Hamas agrees to release 10 hostages as part of Gaza ceasefire talks

Hamas said it would release 10 hostages held in Gaza in a bid reach a ceasefire deal to end 21 months of war in the Palestinian enclave.

Hamas said it would release 10 hostages held in Gaza in a bid to reach a ceasefire deal to end 21 months of war in the Palestinian enclave, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted high-level talks in Washington.

As part of its “commitment to the success” of ongoing peace talks, the militant group said in a news release Wednesday, it would free the captives, although it cautioned that the talks with Israel had been difficult. It did not say when the hostages would be freed.

The announcement came as Netanyahu said discussions with President Donald Trump during two meetings in Washington had focused on freeing the hostages who remained held in Gaza. The latest data from Netanyahu's office published last month said 50 hostages remained in the enclave, 28 of whom were classified as dead.

Netanyahu’s visit came just over two weeks after Trump ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli airstrikes. The president then helped arrange a ceasefire after 12 days of fighting.

Netanyahu, in a post on X, added that he had also discussed the potential implications — and possibilities — of the war with Iran with Trump, which he described as a "great victory."