In a fresh effort to secure the release of hostages held by the militant group Hamas, the Israeli military has begun offering cash rewards and protection to Palestinians who provide accurate information on the whereabouts of the captives. Leaflets written in Arabic were found on the streets of Gaza, distributed by Israeli aircraft, urging residents to come forward with any valuable information. The Israel Defense Forces guaranteed complete confidentiality and assured the people of Gaza that maximum effort would be put into providing security for them and their homes.

The fate of the hostages, estimated to be around 200 individuals with potential casualties, including a few dozen deaths, has become a major concern and has delayed a planned ground invasion by Israel. The recent attacks by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,400 Israelis, have sparked increasing calls within the country to reassess the scale of response needed. Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union, has thus far released four hostages, including two elderly individuals, as a result of mediation efforts led by Qatar.

The Israeli occupation army remains determined to locate and secure the remaining individuals held captive by Hamas. Yesterday, the Israeli military stated that there are currently 222 hostages being held by the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip. However, this information has yet to be independently confirmed by Palestinians. Four prisoners of war, including women, were released on humanitarian grounds. One of the freed hostages praised the treatment they received from the Palestinian resistance, stating that they were well taken care of and treated in a friendly manner.