Blinken Denies Hamas Hostage Deal Report as 'Complete Fiction'

Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has vehemently denied a report published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which claimed Hamas offered to release civilian hostages early in the conflict without conditions, but Israel refused to discuss the proposal. The Haaretz report, authored by journalist Shlomi Eldar, alleged that Hamas conveyed a message through Qatar on October 7th expressing readiness to return all civilian hostages for free, with their sole request being a mediator to arrange the transfer and establish a channel for further negotiations regarding the release of soldiers.

According to the report, Israel allegedly refused to engage with or even hear the offer. Subsequently, Qatar reportedly approached Blinken to inform him of Hamas's willingness to release civilian hostages. The Haaretz story further claims that when Qatar sought to advance the initiative, Blinken, then Secretary of State, stated his intention to visit Israel within three days to speak directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When pressed by the Qataris for immediate action, Blinken allegedly responded, "The situation is complex right now. Israel is still under attack, and there is no one to talk to. We will wait three days."

American journalist Ryan Grim amplified the story, presenting an assertion that Blinken had an opportunity to secure the release of all civilian hostages and de-escalate the situation but instead opted for war. However, Blinken himself has now categorically rejected the entire narrative. Responding directly to the publication, he wrote, "For the record, this is false. Complete fiction."