Israeli entrepreneurs offer £8m for release of Hamas hostages
Israeli entrepreneurs are offering rewards to Palestinians who free hostages abducted over a year ago by Hamas terrorists. £80,000 will be paid for each released prisoner by former SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum, as reported by the Lebanese portal L'Orient Le Jour.
It has been reported that another entrepreneur, American-Israeli developer David Hager, aims to raise £8 million for the same purpose.
Birnbaum appealed to Palestinians over the past weekend in a social media statement. By Monday, he had been contacted by about 100 people, of which, according to the AFP agency, 10 to 20 responses "could have been credible." These contacts were relayed to the Israeli authorities for verification. In Birnbaum's opinion, however, the callers were more interested in the possibility of leaving the Gaza Strip than the promised reward.
It's impossible, with such a large number of hostages, that residents of the Gaza Strip keep information about their whereabouts secret - Birnbaum told the agency, assuring that he is not directing his appeal to Hamas, but to the "residents of Gaza."
- There are certainly civilians who say "enough" and want to lead a normal life - he emphasised. - I don't expect we'll recover all the hostages, but I'd be happy if we freed even one - he declared.
Birnbaum reported that he didn't ask the Israeli government for permission for his action. - We'll see if it works. In any case, everything we've tried so far hasn't worked - he noted.
The reward offer was also made by David Hager, an Israeli-American developer. The businessman informed during a conversation with journalists from Israeli Channel 12 that he has already raised £320,000. The man, who made his fortune in the United States, called on other entrepreneurs affiliated with Israel to contribute £80,000 each. Hager aims to collect a sum of £8 million in hopes of "bringing home 100 hostages," even though - as he emphasised - it's known that "many of them have been killed."
Call for "laying down arms." Flyers dropped in the Gaza Strip
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised Palestinians that those "who lay down arms and return the hostages will be able to leave (Gaza) and live in peace." Flyers with this message were dropped in the Gaza Strip following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
According to Michael Milshtein, an expert from the Moshe Dayan Centre at Tel Aviv University, these appeals have little chance of success. - One, two, or three cases might occur, but we won't see crowds ready to accept this offer - he said in an interview with AFP, emphasising, "that it was announced on the first day of the war."
Among the approximately 251 hostages abducted from Israel a year ago, about 60 are still alive, according to Israeli authorities. According to the American newspaper "New York Times," Hamas fighters are likely holding the remains of about 35 people.
