Hamas loses track of many hostages in Gaza angering Israel, truce talks underway between parties in Qatar
Hamas has angered Israel as reports suggest it has lost track of many hostages in the capture. Israel has asked for the return of all the hostages and it is willing to pay a big price for it but Hamas is finding it challenging to track many captives.
FollowPalestinian militant group Hamas has lost track of a certain section of the hostages which is complicating things with Israel. The large-scale October 7 attack on parts of Israel gave an upper hand to the Islamist militant group as it got hold of thousands of captives. Hamas is constantly using the captives as a bargaining chip for the release of Palestinian and Hamas prisoners from Israeli jails.
As the October 7 attack unfolded from the Gaza Strip, many militants in the name of Jihad joined the fight for a free Palestine. Islamic Jihad, an Iran-backed militant group in Palestine also captured Israeli soldiers and civilians. The Islamic Jihad group also participated in a prisoners swap with Israel on Tuesday.
However, it is not confirmed if the Islamic Jihad group will further participate in such a swap with Israel as it holds its captives as high-value commodities. Hamas is already facing the issue of losing track of multiple hostages which has angered Israel. The Jewish nation is calling on Hamas to return all the captives and it is ready to engage in more prisoner swaps for it.
Hamas believes many hostages could have also died in the airstrikes while others may have taken shelter somewhere in the Gaza Strip. Sources in the Egyptian military believe that Hamas can do anything it wants in the strip which includes finding anyone. However, there is a question of will in the Hamas group.
Soon the Jihadist group could run out of hostages with the everyday prisoner swap taking place. The bargaining chip of Hamas will then go away giving an upper hand to Israel in the war. Israel has already made massive inroads into the strip and stopping it will be difficult for Hamas in the absence of any bargaining chip.
Talks are underway in Qatar between various stakeholders in Gaza over the extension of the truce. Hamas and Israel are willing for the extension of truce and Israel has signaled for the introduction of a new phase in the chapter of prisoners swap. It now wants soldiers and men to be included in the prisoners swap with Hamas. However, Hamas is likely to ask a big price for such swaps to take place in the first place.
