Israel, Hamas give conflicting updates on hostage negotiations

[Ryan Robertson]

HAMAS STILL HOLDS AROUND 100 HOSTAGES THAT THE TERRORIST GROUP KIDNAPPED FROM ISRAEL ON OCTOBER 7TH, 2023. REPORTS ABOUND ABOUT HOW BOTH SIDES ARE WORKING TOWARDS A DEAL TO FREE THEM, BUT THERE HASN’T BEEN A FORMAL EXCHANGE OF HOSTAGES IN MONTHS.

ON JANUARY 5TH, REUTERS REPORTED HAMAS AND ISRAEL WERE WORKING ON A CEASEFIRE DEAL AND THAT HAMAS PRESENTED A LIST TO ISRAEL OF 34 HOSTAGES IT WAS WILLING TO RELEASE.

MICHAEL LEVY’S BROTHER, OR, WAS ON THE LIST. OR WAS TAKEN CAPTIVE FROM THE NOVA MUSIC FESTIVAL, WHERE HIS WIFE WAS KILLED.

Michael Levy: My opinion as a brother of someone who’s on this list is that Israel should insist on bringing back all the hostages. It can be in one stage, two stage, three stages, that’s fine. But they need to have an actual plan to bring all of them back. An actual plan with dates, with names, with whatever they need to do in order to make sure all of them are coming back, because if not, some hostages will stay there forever or might die in captivity. And I can’t let it happen.

REUTERS REPORTS IT WAS SHOWN A COPY OF THE LIST, BUT ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAID HAMAS NEVER PROVIDED ANYTHING LIKE THAT DURING NEGOTIATIONS.

REPRESENTATIVES FROM ISRAEL AND HAMAS MEET IN DOHA REGULARLY TO TALK ABOUT ENDING THE CONFLICT. IN ADDITION TO THE QATARIS, THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE BEING MEDIATED WITH HELP FROM THE U.S. AND EGYPT.
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WANTS A WIN BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE. SO, IT’S PUSHING HARD FOR HAMAS TO ACCEPT A DEAL.

THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS WHILE ISRAEL DOES HAVE A RIGHT TO ITS OWN DEFENSE, THE IDF NEEDS TO DO MORE TO HELP THE CIVILIAN POPULATION STILL LIVING IN GAZA AND DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR OF INTENSE FIGHTING.

FROM THE START OF THE WAR, NETANYAHU SAID IT WOULD ONLY END ONCE HAMAS WAS COMPLETELY ERADICATED AS A MILITARY AND GOVERNING FORCE. HAMAS SAID IT WILL ONLY AGREE TO A CEASEFIRE ONCE THE IDF COMPLETELY WITHDRAWS FROM GAZA.

I’M RYAN ROBERTSON. FOR MORE OF OUR UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING ON ISRAEL’S WAR WITH HAMAS, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.