The Israeli media first reported the prime minister’s plan in early November
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered a reward of $5 million to anyone who brings one of the surviving hostages home from Gaza. He made the pledge during a visit to the Palestinian enclave on Tuesday.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas captured over 250 people in its deadly raid on southern Israel in October 2023. Some have been returned through negotiations or military action, while others were killed, including by the Israeli military. As of early November, Israeli intelligence reportedly assessed that up to 51 people were still alive and being held by the militants.
“I want to say to those who are holding our hostages: Whoever dares to harm our hostages will pay the price. We will pursue you and we will find you,” Netanyahu said at a press conference on Tuesday during a brief visit to Gaza.
“To those who want to leave this entanglement I say: Whoever brings us a hostage, will find a safe way out for himself and his family,” he added. “We will also give $5 million for every hostage.”
Two weeks ago, the Israeli media reported that Netanyahu intended to offer a ransom of several million dollars per hostage and safe passage out of Gaza to anyone willing to strike a bargain with his government.
The Israeli leader is facing criticism at home for allegedly disregarding the lives of the hostages in favor of inflicting more damage on Hamas and the Palestinian enclave in general. US-backed Qatar-mediated talks on a possible ceasefire and release of the captives have been suspended, after Doha suggested that the parties were not negotiating in good faith.
Meanwhile, the prime minister’s office stands accused of leaking information to the press to promote his uncompromising position. Netanyahu has dismissed the allegations as a “witch hunt.”
Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, whom Netanyahu fired earlier this month, has reportedly told families of hostages that the military has “nothing left to do in Gaza.”
According to Palestinian officials, the confirmed death toll in Gaza is approaching 44,000, though the actual number of deaths is likely significantly higher, according to humanitarian organizations.
