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Will free 'certain foreign hostages' in next few days, turn Gaza into graveyard for Israeli army, says Hamas

Will free 'certain foreign hostages' in next few days, turn Gaza into graveyard for Israeli army, says Hamas

Will free foreign hostages 'in the next few days', says Hamas

In the latest development from the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian group has said that in the coming days, it would release some of the foreign hostages that it took captive during its unprecedented onslaught on Oct7.

Hamas's armed wing on Tuesday (Oct 31) said that it would free "a certain number of foreigners" as it vowed to turn Gaza into a graveyard for the Israeli army.

"We have informed intermediaries that we will release a certain number of foreigners in the next few days," Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a televised address.

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"Gaza will be a graveyard and a quagmire for the enemy, its soldiers and its political and military leadership," said Obeida.

Reportedly, at the moment, Hamas has held approximately 240 hostages in Gaza after the militant group launched a surprise attack against Israel on Oct 7 prompting a fierce ground offensive by Israeli defence forces.

As of now, five hostages have been released, including four after negotiations through a diplomatic backchannel and one following an operation by the Israeli army.

Hamas demands Israel free Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages

Earlier, Hamas had demanded Israel release purported Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages it took captive.

Israel describes such Palestinian prisoners as Hamas operatives and a threat to its national security.

"The price to pay for the large number of enemy hostages in our hands is to empty the (Israeli) prisons of all Palestinian prisoners," Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida said in a statement broadcast by the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television channel.

"If the enemy wants to close this file of detainees in one go, we are ready for it. If it wants to do it step-by-step, we are ready for that too."

In a press briefing on Saturday (Oct 28), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while not making any commitment to the exchange deal, vowed to "exhaust every option to bring them (the hostages) home".

(With inputs from agencies)

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