Official announcements from Israeli or Hamas representatives, or credible news sources

Al-Qaeda Adviser Abu Walid al-Masri Urges Hamas to Release Israeli Hostages

Oct 20, 2024, 07:47 AM

An adviser to Al-Qaeda's leader, Abu Walid al-Masri, has called on Hamas to release the Israeli hostages they are holding in Gaza. Al-Masri, who is related by marriage to Al-Qaeda's probable leader Saif al-Adel, stated that the attention given to the Israeli hostages is overshadowing the fate of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. This call for action was reported by SITE, an American extremist monitoring organization, and various other sources. Al-Masri emphasized that releasing the hostages would prevent the situation from deteriorating further and suggested an exchange of Israeli prisoners for Palestinian ones. The call came following the assassination of Yahya Sinwar.