Hamas is engaged in "intensive" negotiations with other terror groups in Gaza for the transfer of Israeli hostages that were taken from their homes on October 7 and are currently in the captivity of other, non-Hamas actors, according to reports from Gaza relayed in the Hebrew media.Hamas is also working to locate its own hostages, but its internal communications have been degraded during the war as a result of Israeli airstrikes.
The terrorist group is desperate to continue the staged release of hostages in order to prolong the current ceasefire with Israel. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who was involved in the negotiations that led to the current agreement, told the Financial Times that "If [Hamas] gets additional women and children, there will be an extension," and that one of Hamas's purposes in seeking a pause in fighting was to "search for the rest of the missing people."