A spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, Abu Ubaida, announced today, Saturday, that the brigades intended to release two other hostages "for humanitarian reasons," but Israel refused to receive them. He added in a brief statement that the brigades had informed Qatar on Friday of Hamas's intention to release the hostages. He noted that the group is ready to release the two hostages tomorrow under the same procedures used for the release of two American captives yesterday.
The statement said, "We informed our Qatari brothers last night that we would release both Nurit Yitzhak... and Yuval Levchitz for compelling humanitarian reasons and without any conditions... but the occupying government refused to accept them." The Al-Qassam Brigades indicated via their Telegram channel that the hostages are: Nurit Yitzhak, ID number 001145416, and Yuval Levchitz, ID number 005236955.
Musa Dudin, the Hamas official responsible for prisoner affairs, explained that this step comes "according to the ethics of resistance," stressing not to harm an elderly person, child, or woman. He added, "Civilians are not bargaining chips, and when the field conditions are favorable, we will release them."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office commented: "We will not engage with Hamas's false propaganda and continue to work by all means to return all abductees." The Al-Qassam Brigades had released two American hostages on Friday evening in response to Qatari efforts. The Israeli army reported that the number of captives in Gaza has risen to 210.
