A person looks at posters depicting hostages and missing persons as Tel Aviv residents show their support and solidarity with the families of hostages held in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 21st. 2023. Portal/Ammar Awad acquires license rights
JERUSALEM, Oct 21 (Portal) – Israel on Saturday described as “propaganda” a claim by Hamas that the militant group wanted to release two more hostages on humanitarian grounds but Israel refused to take them.
Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Hamas’ armed wing, said Qatar was informed of the group’s intention to release the two others on Friday, the same day Americans Judith Tai Ranaan and her daughter Natalie were released.
In a later statement, Abu Ubaida said Hamas was ready to release the two people on Sunday “using the same procedures” as when Judith and Natalie were released.
The Palestinian group captured around 210 people in its deadly attack in southern Israel on October 7. Qatar, which helped broker Friday’s release, had no immediate comment.
In a brief statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said: “We will not rely on false propaganda from Hamas.”
The statement continued: “We will continue to do our best to return all abducted and missing people home.”
Reporting by Emily Rose, Hatem Maher in Dubai and Andrew Mills in Doha; Edited by Alison Williams and Daniel Wallis
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