GAZA ( Web News )
A spokesman for the armed wing of Hamas said on Saturday the group intended to release two more hostages for “humanitarian reasons,” but that Israel had declined to receive them.
Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, said in a brief statement that it informed mediators on Friday of Hamas’ intention to release the two people, the same day it freed Americans Judith Tai Ranaan and her daughter Natalie.
In a later statement, Abu Ubaida said Hamas was ready to free the two people on Sunday “using the same procedures” involved in the release of Judith and Natalie.
Israel on Saturday described the claim as “propaganda.”
In a brief statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said: “We will not refer to false propaganda by Hamas.”
The statement added: “We will continue to act in every way to return all the kidnapped and missing people home.”
Hamas captured around 210 people during its deadly assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Osama Hamdan (L) of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, speaks to reporters in Sanaa . File Picture
Hamas says won’t discuss fate of Israeli army captives until aggression on Gaza ends
Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Saturday it won’t discuss the fate of Israeli army captives until Israel ends its “aggression” on the Gaza strip.
“Our stance with regards to Israeli army captives is clear: it’s related to a (possible) exchange of prisoners, and we will not discuss it until Israel ends its aggression on Gaza and Palestinians,” Hamas official Osama Hamdan, speaking from Lebanon, told a televised presser.