The negotiations for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip have reached an impasse after the Palestinian movement, Hamas, demanded that Israel allow fuel supplies into the area without guaranteeing the release of a large number of foreign nationals. This information comes from NBC, citing sources.
The television channel notes that Hamas insists on obtaining fuel supplies.
“Israeli and American officials, along with other countries, want the release of a large group of their citizens,” the channel quotes a former American official familiar with the progress of the negotiations.
NBC claims that the hostage negotiations reached a deadlock even before the Israeli army announced the expansion of its operations in the Gaza Strip on October 27th. One diplomat pointed out that on October 26th, the negotiations were going well, and the participants planned to reach an agreement over the weekend.
Prior to this, the official spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces, Daniel Haggai, stated during a press briefing that there were at least 230 hostages being held in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the residents of the Gaza Strip to evacuate.
