Ready to give something in exchange for release of significant number of hostages from Gaza: Israel to Qatari mediators

Israel says there are 222 people as hostages in Gaza captured by Hamas following its unprecedented attack on October 7. The war-struck West Asian nations have now moved to Qatari mediators, saying it is prepared to give something in exchange for the release of a significant number of those held captive by the Palestinian terrorist group.

This came a day after Hamas’s armed wing claimed that “almost 50” Israeli hostages held by its operators in the Gaza Strip have been killed since Israel started bombarding the Palestinian territory.

A report by the Kan public broadcasters citied an unnamed political source saying Israel has informed Qatari mediators that it is prepared to give something in exchange for Hamas releases hostages from Gaza.

The source, however, did not specify what Israel would be willing to offer.

Meanwhile, Jerusalem has also rejected proposals that required it to allow fuel into Gaza due to fears that it will be used by Hamas.

Israel has publicly been insisting that the hostages must be released unconditionally, however, it is unclear if they gave anything in exchange for the release of the first four hostages over the past week.

As per reports by Kan, Israel passed along its red lines for the negotiations to the Qatari mediators.

The Palestinian terrorist group has reportedly been seeking the entry of fuel into Gaza as well as the release of security prisoners from Israeli jails along with a ceasefire.

The report also quoted the political source saying a major development is possibly in the talks and would soon be unfolding.

With inputs from agencies