From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 19, 2024
Israel sending Gazans text messages offering rewards for info on hostages
Gianluca Pacchiani is the Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel
Gazans have been receiving text messages offering them money in exchange for information on the hostages detained by Hamas and other terror groups inside Gaza.
The message, which has been shared on Palestinian social media, reads: “Are you interested in a better future for your family, and in a handsome financial reward? Do you have information about the hostages or who is holding them? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at the following number.”
The text further contains links to other channels to contact the sender, and a link with images of the hostages.
It is not immediately clear which body within Israel’s security apparatus has been sending out the messages.
Israel has in the past dropped leaflets on Gaza offering rewards for information on the hostages.
Hamas and other Gazan terror groups abducted 253 people from southern Israel on October 7. It is believed that 130 of them remain in Gaza — not all of them alive — after 105 civilians were released from captivity during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released prior to that. Three hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 11 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military.
