Qatari officials have told families of American and Israeli hostages that negotiations with Hamas have become more difficult following the killing of top Hamas commander Saleh al-Arouri last week.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani issued this statement to the families of six US and Israeli hostages, Axios reported on Saturday. Al-Arouri was killed in an explosion while in Beirut, Lebanon, last week, but no group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
Before al-Arouri's killing, Hamas had expressed openness to an additional exchange of 120 Palestinians and 40 Israeli hostages held in Israeli prisons. Israel rejected this and a prior agreement that would have imposed a months-long ceasefire in the region.
Israel, the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Hamas have been negotiating, but the killing of al-Arouri on January 2 appears to have hit a snag.
Far-right Israeli minister's comments on Gaza's future drew condemnation from the State Department
Qatari officials have told families of American and Israeli hostages that negotiations with Hamas have become more difficult following the killing of top Hamas commander Saleh al-Arouri (pictured) last week. . (Reuters)
Israeli officials believe there are approximately 133 hostages remaining in Gaza, but the United States warns there is no way to confirm how many of them are still alive.
Israeli authorities denied involvement in the attack that killed al-Arouri, but noted the “surgical” precision of the attack.
Israel to defend itself against genocide charges filed by South Africa in international court
Ambassador Mark Regev, an adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told MSNBC: “Israel is not responsible for this attack. But whoever did it, it should be clear that this was not an attack on the Lebanese state.”
Israeli officials believe there are approximately 133 hostages remaining in Gaza, but the United States warns there is no way to confirm how many of them are still alive. (Sydney Borchers/Fox News Digital)
He continued: “This is not even an attack on the terrorist organization Hezbollah. Those who carried out this carried out a surgical attack on the Hamas leadership.”
Israel to defend itself against genocide charges filed by South Africa in international court
Allouri is one of the founders of Hamas' military wing and has overseen the terrorist group's operations in the West Bank. He was one of Israel's biggest targets in the war, along with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
On September 19, 2017, Hamas's head of the Gaza Strip Yahya al-Sinwar, Hamas's emir Ismail Haniyeh, and senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Haya arrived at the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip. (Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Israel remains open to hostage deals on suitable terms, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the war with Hamas in Gaza will continue for “many more months.”
