Israel has accused Hamas of ‘psychological terror’ for naming dozens of hostages it said it is ready to release – despite not even confirming if they are alive.
The terrorists leaked 34 names of captives to the press on Sunday and briefed that it was prepared to free them in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza.
It includes Emily Damari, the only British prisoner still held in the Strip, among 10 women as well as 11 men over 50 and 11 people designated as sick.
But Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that this was in fact a list of people he had requested to be freed last July to which they have received no response.
The document has caused huge distress to families of hostages whose names do not appear on it while the loved ones of those on it fear they are being manipulated by the extremists.
Among the 34 are one-year-old Kfir Bibas and his brother Ariel, five, whom Hamas claimed had been killed a year ago.
An official from the Prime Minister’s office dismissed it as ‘spin’ to put pressure on Israel in negotiations and called on the media to ignore the ‘propaganda and psychological terror’.
‘They haven’t said who is alive and who is not; they haven’t sent any list,’ they said. ‘So, as far as we stand, there isn’t any progress.’
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the names were a list of people he had requested to be freed last July to which they have received no response
The list includes hostage Emily Damari, the only British prisoner still held in the Gaza Strip
Hamas has released a sickening hostage video of Liri Albag who is still held in Gaza over 450 days since she was brutally kidnapped
A Hamas source yesterday told Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Palestinian factions need another week to provide details on the condition of each hostage on the list.
Previously the terrorists have requested a ceasefire just to allow them to check who is alive.
The failure to give proof of life has proven one of the major sticking points in negotiations to date with fears Hamas have lost track of many of the captives.
But mediators are keen to build on the momentum with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken hoping to finally get a deal done before Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
‘We very much want to bring this over the finish line in the next two weeks, the time we have remaining,’ he told a press conference in South Korea yesterday (Mon).
While nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza, of which over half are hoped to be alive, Israel suggested a partial release of 40 last summer as the first phase of a ceasefire.
Since then five on that list were executed by Hamas – Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Almog Sarsuri, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat and Avraham Munder. Meanwhile one, Kaid Farhan al-Qadi, was rescued by the IDF.
Mediators had pushed for an initial partial release as a bridging proposal given Hamas demands a total withdrawal before freeing every hostage while Israel will not pull out until all captives are freed.
It is the first stage a of three-phase agreement that would end with a total ceasefire and IDF withdrawal.
Smoke rising from Sterod, Gaza following and Israeli bombardment on January 5
A man searches for his belongings amid the debris of a destroyed building following an Israeli air strike in Gaza on January 6
But yesterday the hostage forum, which represents the families of those taken, said the list had left them ‘deeply shaken and distressed’.
A spokesman said: ‘The time has come for a comprehensive agreement that will bring back all hostages.’
It comes as the UN World Food Programme said yesterday that Israeli forces opened fire on its convoy in Gaza on Sunday in a ‘horrifying’ attack. Three vehicles carrying eight staff members were struck by 16 bullets near the Wadi Gaza checkpoint, causing no injuries.
Meanwhile three Israelis were shot dead in the West Bank and seven others injured yesterday.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk