The US government pushed for it Israel to delay his impending invasion of Gauze in an attempt to convince Hamas to release other hostages, he says CNNaccording to two sources briefed on the discussions.
Friday’s release of two Americans held by Hamas marked the possible release of more than 200 people believed to have been kidnapped by the militant group after its deadly attacks two weeks ago.
“THE [κυβέρνηση] pressured Israeli leadership to delay because of progress on the hostage front” and the need to transport aid trucks to Gaza, said a person familiar with the discussions.
The National Security Council did not immediately respond for comment. When US President Joe Biden was asked on Saturday if he encouraged Israel to delay the invasion, he replied: “I’m talking to the Israelis».
Qatar, acting as mediator for US and Israel, leads talks with Hamas to release hostages. According to a diplomat briefed on the talks, the negotiations included talks about moving much-needed aid to Gaza and the need for a temporary ceasefire to get the prisoners out. Israel has not said it is considering a ceasefire.
Hamas doesn’t seem to have taken anything concrete from Judith Tye and Natalie Raanan’s release on Friday. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said in a statement on Saturday that it was willing to release two “detainees” it identified by name.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office responded to the claim on Saturday night, saying it would not comment on “false Hamas propaganda.”adding that the government of Israel “will continue to do whatever it takes to bring all prisoners and missing persons back home.”
An official in the Israeli prime minister’s office told CNN on Friday, after news of the Americans’ release, that it may have been an attempt by Hamas to play down the Israeli military response.
“This n [στρατιωτική] pressure is not going to go because they were released,” the official said. “It will not change the mission, which is to dismantle Hamas.”
Source: News Beast
With 6 years of experience, I bring to the table captivating and informative writing in the world news category. My expertise covers a range of industries, including tourism, technology, forex and stocks. From brief social media posts to in-depth articles, I am dedicated to creating compelling content for various platforms.
