- Sputnik International, 1920
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Netanyahu's Office Says Hamas Currently Not Interested in Hostage Deal

© Sputnik / Sergey GuneevIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - Sputnik International, 1920, 09.03.2024
Subscribe
TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Palestinian movement Hamas is not interested at this stage in a deal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Saturday, adding that Israel maintains contacts with mediators in an attempt to bridge differences.
On March 8, Israel's Secret Intelligence Service (Mossad) chief David Barnea met with US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns in an effort to promote a deal with Hamas to release hostages in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza, Netanyahu's office said.
"At this stage, Hamas is reasserting its position that it is not interested in a deal, and is seeking to inflame the region during Ramadan at the expense of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip. We emphasize that contacts and cooperation with the mediators continue unceasingly in an attempt to narrow differences and advance agreements," the Prime Minister's Office said on behalf of the Mossad.
In this photo provided by the Government of Israel, Judith Raanan, right, and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie are escorted by Israeli soldiers and Gal Hirsch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's special coordinator for returning the hostages, as they return to Israel from captivity in the Gaza Strip, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. Hamas released the pair in what it said was a goodwill gesture late Friday, nearly two weeks after they were captured in a bloody cross-border raid by the Islamic militant group. The Hamas attack sparked a war that is entering its third week, and Hamas is believed to still be holding some 200 people hostage. - Sputnik International, 1920, 05.03.2024
World
Hamas Ready to Reduce Number of Palestinians Released as Part of Hostage Deal - Reports
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip and in the ensuing fighting killed 1,100 Israelis, both military and civilians, and abducting some 240 others. Israel launched massive strikes on Gaza, fully blockaded the Palestinian enclave and then invaded it with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas and rescuing the hostages.
Some 31,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military operations and more than 76,000 have been wounded, according to the local authorities. More than 1.9 million Palestinians out of 2.3 million in Gaza have been displaced more than a half are facing hunger and starvation as a result of Israel's blockade.
On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and hostages taken by Hamas, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала