2023-11-29 15:04:00
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The terrorist militia Hamas abducted 240 hostages to the Gaza Strip during an attack on Israel. But 40 of them have disappeared. How can that be?
Gaza – The situation of the hostages kidnapped from Israel to the Gaza Strip is probably even more confusing than previously thought. After agreeing on a ceasefire with Hamas in the war in Israel and exchanging hostages for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, the mediating country Qatar delivers the next bad news: 40 of the Israeli hostages are said to have disappeared without a trace in the Gaza Strip.
Israel News: Missing hostages captured by other groups?
Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani reported in an interview with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani that even Hamas itself cannot say where the missing hostages are Financial Times. This means that around 40 women and children cannot be located. The reason for this could be the involvement of other radical Islamic groups.
40 Israeli hostages have disappeared in the Gaza Strip, according to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. They could be in the control of other Islamist groups. © Newscom / EyePress/IMAGO
Hamas probably has no overview of hostages “those from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the PIJ [Palästinensischer Islamischer Dschihad] and other smaller groups,” said the senior analyst of the AEI Critical Threats Project’s Salafi-Jihadi team Business Insider. Islamic Jihad in Palestine said it had 30 of the kidnapped hostages in its possession.
Hamas probably did not act alone in the attack on Israel
It wasn’t just Hamas fighters who took part in the attack on Israel on October 7th. The attack, in which around 1,200 Israeli soldiers and civilians were murdered, is also said to have been carried out and coordinated with the participation of Islamic Jihad. Hamas has told Qatar that its fighters have not captured any civilians and is blaming other militant groups, Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammad said. The information cannot be independently verified.
The distribution of hostages therefore has an impact on the release of those abducted. Since Israel is only in negotiations with Hamas, it could be difficult to locate all the hostages. Also because other terrorist groups could see more value in the prisoners than Hamas.
Hamas must negotiate with Palestinian groups for hostages
“Hamas cannot simply order the handover of the hostages, especially since everyone else knows that the hostages are of value to them too,” Hans Jacob Schindler, an employee of the Counter Extremist Project, told the Business Insider. Hamas is therefore not only conducting negotiations with Israel, but also with the various radical Palestinian groups.
The hostage situation was one of the most complicated of his career. “Not just because of the number of hostages, but because of the number of groups that took hostages.” These groups would also not respond to Hamas’ negotiations.
Hamas abducted around 240 hostages to the Gaza Strip on October 7th. Some have since been released. © Eyal Warshavsky/IMAGO
So far, the terrorist organization Hamas has handed over 69 of the kidnapped hostages to Israel. In return, Israel released 150 imprisoned Palestinians to Gaza. The negotiations between Israel and Hamas also included deliveries of aid to the Gaza Strip. The search for more hostages could now be an opportunity to extend the already extended ceasefire.
Hostages may also have escaped or been killed
There are two other options for the missing hostages. The optimistic view is that some hostages could have managed to escape from their captors, says Schindler in the interview. “It is always possible that hostages will escape from where they are being held.” The second, although unlikely, possibility would be the death of some hostages. According to Schindler, the idea is unlikely because Hamas would try to blame Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip for the deaths.
Hamas could also buy time in the war against Israel by saying it won’t find the hostages, said Rachel Briggs, CEO of the think tank The Clarity Factory Business Insider. The way the hostages were released bit by bit by Hamas was a sign that “playing for time is definitely something Hamas is trying to do.” (nhi)
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