Israel offers millions of dollars for the release of each hostage

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to offer Hamas hostage takers in the Gaza Strip millions of dollars for the release of each hostage and a safe departure with their families.

Israeli government sources confirmed the report broadcast by Channel 12 to dpa.

But Hamas representative Taher al-Nono, speaking to dpa, described the offer as a “farce” and said the hostages would only be released with an agreement that ends the war, lifts the blockade of the Gaza Strip and enables the reconstruction of the embattled coast stripes.

Of the approximately 250 people abducted from Israel during the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, 2023, approximately 100 are still held in the Gaza Strip, although many are believed to have died.

Her relatives accuse Netanyahu of blocking an agreement to release her, while he blames Hamas.

About 1,200 people were killed by Palestinian militants in attacks on communities in southern Israel on October 7 last year. Israel responded by bombarding Gaza with airstrikes and launching a ground offensive into the coastal area, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and reducing most of the Gaza Strip to rubble.

Seven dead in the West Bank

Palestinian reports said the death toll in the West Bank later rose to seven following an Israeli military operation.

The health ministry in Ramallah said two men were killed in a drone strike south of Jenin, two other Palestinians were killed near Tubas and three in the town of Qabatiya.

The Israeli military said a drone struck “a cell of armed terrorists” south of Jenin, killing two gunmen and later a third.

According to the Israeli military, gunfights also occurred near the Israeli settlements of Alfe Menashe and Shomron.

The already tense situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly since the beginning of the Gaza war.