Hamas said it had informed Qatar of its intention to unconditionally release two Israeli hostages, accusing Tel Aviv of refusing to take them back.
"We informed our Qatari brothers that Hamas would release Nourit Yitshaq and Yokhefed Lifshitz on humanitarian grounds without any conditions. However, the Israeli government refused to accept them," Abu Obaida, a spokesman for Hamas' armed wing, said on October 21.
Mr. Obaida later said that Hamas was ready to release the two men on October 22 following the same procedure as the previously freed American hostages. "Refusing to accept the hostages is a sign that the Israeli government is not serious and does not want to stop the bloodshed," the Hamas official said.
Banners supporting families of kidnapped relatives are posted on a wall in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 21. Photo: Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office called Hamas's statement "false propaganda." "We will continue to do everything possible to bring the missing and kidnapped back home," the office said in a statement.
Qatari officials have not commented on the information.
Hamas launched a large-scale offensive on southern Israel on October 7, killing thousands of people. More than 200 people, including Israeli citizens, foreigners and dual nationals, were captured by Hamas gunmen, most of whom were taken to the Gaza Strip and are still alive.
Israeli media on October 21 quoted an anonymous senior diplomatic official as saying that the US and some European countries are concerned that Israel launching a large-scale attack on the Gaza Strip will disrupt all future efforts to negotiate the release of hostages.
The official said that Western countries whose citizens were missing in the Hamas raid were putting pressure on Tel Aviv. They did not ask Israel to cancel the planned attack, but suggested slowing down a beat to wait for the results of diplomatic efforts to secure the release of the hostages.
Israel has vowed to "completely destroy Hamas and its military capabilities" and is preparing a large-scale offensive against the Gaza Strip. Tel Aviv has imposed a blockade on the strip, launched retaliatory raids and carried out a number of local attacks in the area.
The United Nations and world leaders have warned that a large-scale ground offensive against the Gaza Strip could worsen the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Vu Anh (According to Reuters )
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