Both Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before the Jan. 20 inauguration.

Both israeli and hamas negotiators, confirmed the talks on friday. official negotiations have been deadlocked for months, but indirect talks have continued as the biden administration continues to push for a ceasefire,

Hamas has named 34 hostages, some of them believed to have died in captivity, who it says it would return to Israel in the first phase of an evolving if still elusive ceasefire in Gaza.