Israel offers $5 million ransom for Gaza hostages' release
“Whoever brings us a hostage, will find a safe way out for himself and his family. We will also give $5m for every hostage,” said Benjamin Netanyahu. The Prime Minister of Israel added that anyone who frees a hostage will receive five million dollars.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that Israel will pay $5 million for each hostage released from the Gaza Strip and will guarantee the safety of those who help achieve this.
“Whoever brings us a hostage will gain a safe escape route for themselves and their family,” assured Netanyahu, addressing "those who are holding the hostages."
The Prime Minister emphasized that those who harm the hostages will be pursued and held accountable. “That's your choice, but the result will be the same—we will free all of them,” noted the prime minister.
Israelis accuse Netanyahu
For months, Israelis have been regularly protesting against the government, demanding that it reach a ceasefire agreement in the war that has been ongoing for over a year in the Gaza Strip. Part of the agreement includes exchanging Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
During the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups murdered nearly 1,200 people and abducted 251. Among the hostages taken that day, 97 are likely still in the Gaza Strip, and many of them may no longer be alive.
Part of the Israeli public has long accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging out the ongoing negotiations for political gains. His far-right coalition partners oppose a truce.
Netanyahu, along with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior commanders, visited soldiers stationed in the central part of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. The Prime Minister praised the military for their successes in the fight against Hamas and once again assured that this organization would not rule the Gaza Strip after the war.
According to the local health ministry, nearly 44,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive targeting Hamas. The Gaza Strip is devastated, there is a humanitarian crisis, and the majority of residents have been forced to flee their homes.
