Hamas to free 10 hostages as part of truce talks

GAZA, July 10 (AFP): Hamas said Wednesday it agreed to release 10 hostages held in Gaza as part of ongoing ceasefire talks with Israel, adding it was working to overcome hurdles despite the "difficulty of negotiations".

"In the framework of (Hamas's) commitment to ensuring the success of ongoing efforts, the movement displayed the required flexibility and agreed to release 10 prisoners (hostages)," the group said in a statement, adding that the "core points remain under negotiations", notably the flow of aid, Israel's withdrawal and guarantees for a permanent ceasefire.

"Despite the difficulty of negotiations over these issues until now due to the intransigence of the occupation, we continue to work seriously and with a positive spirit with the mediators to overcome the hurdles," it added.

Meanwhile, Gaza's civil defence agency on Thursday said at least 52 people, including eight children, were killed by Israeli forces in the Palestinian territory battered by more than 21 months of war.

The latest deadly strikes and gunfire came just hours after Hamas, which runs Gaza, announced it was willing to release 10 hostages as part of indirect ceasefire talks with Israel.

Israel has recently expanded its military operations in the Gaza Strip, where the war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the population of more than two million people.

Civil defence official Mohammad al-Mughair told AFP that 17 people were killed in a strike in front of a medical point in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.

The Israeli military told AFP that it had struck a Hamas militant in Deir el-Balah who had infiltrated Israel during the group's October 7, 2023 attack.

It said it "regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and operates to minimize harm as much as possible", adding the incident was under review. Mughair said eight children and two women were killed in the strike.

Yousef Al-Aydi, 30, said he was among dozens of people, mostly women and children, waiting for nutritional supplements in front of the medical point. "Suddenly, we heard the sound of a drone approaching, and then the explosion happened," he told AFP by phone.

"The ground shook beneath our feet, and everything around us turned into blood and deafening screams." "What was our fault? What was the fault of the children?" asked Mohammed Abu Ouda, 35, who had also been waiting for supplies.

"I saw a mother hugging her child on the ground, both motionless-they were killed instantly." AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details due to media restrictions in the embattled territory.

In Deir el-Balah, Yousef Al-Aydi, said those in the queue for nutritional supplements heard a drone approaching, then an explosion. "The ground shook beneath our feet and everything around us turned into blood and deafening screams," he added.