Netanyahu offers $5m to Gazans in exchange for any hostage

Israeli prime minister also promises safe passage out for those who hand over a captive but warns anyone who harms one will ‘pay the price’

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Benjamin Netanyahu has offered $5 million and safe passage out of Gaza to any resident who hands over an Israeli hostage.
Speaking to troops inside central Gaza, the Israeli prime minister also pledged that anyone who harmed a hostage would “pay the price”.
His speech followed a growing public outcry over the welfare of the remaining captives as winter nears.
Mr Netanyahu had earlier this month offered Hamas $1 million for each freed hostage as well as amnesty for their captors – a deal the Palestinian terror group did not appear to respond to.
Hamas took 251 hostages during the Oct 7 terror attacks on southern Israel last year. Of these, 97 hostages remain in Gaza, 60 of whom are believed to be alive.
On a trip to the Israeli-held Netzarim Corridor, which cuts through Gaza, Mr Netanyahu said: “Whoever brings us a hostage will find a safe way out for himself and his family. We will also give $5 million for every hostage.
“The choice is yours but the result will be the same: We will bring them all back. Anyone who dares to harm our abductees will bear the responsibility. We will hunt you down and get you.”
It is unclear how Israel intends to fund the hostage-release rewards.
In October, several wealthy Israeli entrepreneurs offered their own financial incentives for the repatriation of hostages.
Daniel Birnbaum, former CEO of SodaStream, announced on X, formerly Twitter, that he would give $100,000 in cash or bitcoin to “anyone who delivers from Gaza a living Israeli prisoner”.
He said he received hundreds of calls, mostly pranks and threats, but transferred between 10 and 20 potentially legitimate responses to the authorities.
David Hager, an Israeli-American property developer, said he would also assist with fundraising efforts.
He told Israeli outlet Channel 12 that he had amassed around $400,000 from wealthy friends and was urging other businessmen to contribute in the hopes of reaching a $10 million goal.
Mr Netanyahu’s latest reward announcement comes as members of his office face scrutiny for allegedly leaking classified documents.
It has been claimed the leak was an attempt to quell public support for a ceasefire and may have hindered a potential Israeli hostage-release deal.
The prime minister is also facing increased pressure from the families of hostages to recover the captives before temperatures drop.
Last week, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum health team said some of the remaining hostages had lost half of their body weight while in captivity, warning this had decreased their chances of surviving the upcoming winter.
The forum issued a statement on Monday demanding that any potential ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon must “explicitly, directly and unequivocally include the immediate release of all hostages in a single deal”.
The possibility of such a ceasefire appears to be getting closer after Lebanon and Hezbollah agreed to a US proposal “with some comments” earlier this week.
However, Gideon Saar, Israel’s foreign minister, said on Wednesday that any ceasefire deal made with Lebanon must ensure Israel still has the “freedom to act” against Hezbollah.
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