Iran says Hamas ready to release hostages if Israel does not attack Gaza
Iran's Foreign Ministry says Hamas is potentially ready to release nearly 200 hostages it is holding if Israel stops airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. The terrorist group has not acknowledged making such a proposal.
Source: Nasser Kanaani, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, speaking at a press conference in Tehran, quoted by The Times of Israel
Details: As Kanaani stated, Hamas officials "said they were ready to take the necessary steps to free citizens and civilians held by the resistance groups, but their view was that such steps required preparations that were not possible in the face of the daily bombardment of various areas of Gaza by the Zionists".
Hamas has said it would swap prisoners for thousands of Palestinians held by Israel as part of unilateral swap deals that have been reached in the past.
"We heard from the Resistance that they have no problem with continuing the resistance," Kanaani said, referring to Hamas.
"They said they have the military capacity to continue resistance on the ground for a long time," the Iranian official added.
The Times of Israel notes that "Iran is the main sponsor of Hamas in its fight against Israel."
Background:
- On 7 October, Hamas attacked Israel and took hostages.
- The Israeli army retaliated by attempting to destroy the terrorist group's infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.
- The Israeli authorities stated that it would be a protracted war.
- On the morning of 16 October, reports emerged that Egypt, Israel and the United States had agreed to a temporary ceasefire in the southern part of Gaza effective 09:00, where the Rafah crossing is located, but the Israeli Prime Minister retracted this information.
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