Mehdi Hasan flags Haaretz report on Hamas hostage release offer

British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan has highlighted a reported hostage release offer detailed in Haaretz’s September 8 investigation, which examined what Israeli leaders allegedly knew before the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and the handling of hostage negotiations that followed.

In a video titled “The Truth About Hamas and the Hostages,” published by Zeteo on Saturday, September 12, Hasan focused on the investigation’s account that Hamas was prepared to release all civilian hostages on October 7.

According to the Haaretz report, Qatar’s prime minister contacted then-Mossad chief David Barnea at around 7pm on October 7 and said Hamas was ready to release all civilian hostages. Qatar was also prepared to mediate, the report said.

The investigation also referred to a message attributed to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, saying civilians could be released “without anything in return”, apart from beginning negotiations.

Hasan said the account was particularly significant because Israeli and US officials had repeatedly maintained that the release of hostages was central to ending the war.

He referred to previous statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US officials who said the conflict could end if Hamas released the hostages.

Hasan questions hostage negotiations

Hasan argued that the reported offer raised questions about Israel’s approach to hostage negotiations and the repeated claim that the war could end with the release of the hostages.

He also revisited an earlier Zeteo video in which he discussed claims that Hamas had offered to release civilian hostages shortly after October 7 if Israel did not launch a ground invasion of Gaza.

The October 7 attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Israel subsequently launched its military campaign in Gaza, while efforts to secure the hostages became a central issue in negotiations.

Haaretz report on UAE warning

The September 8 Haaretz investigation was headlined, “Revealed: Netanyahu Received an Explicit Warning Days Before Oct. 7. He Didn’t Brief Israel’s Security Chiefs.”

It alleged that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu around 10 days before the attack that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was preparing a major operation that could cause bloodshed and destabilise the region.

According to the investigation, Netanyahu responded calmly and assured bin Zayed that Israel was prepared. It also alleged that he did not brief Israel’s security chiefs about the warning.

Netanyahu has rejected the report and instructed his lawyers to file a libel lawsuit against Haaretz.