New Website Offers Millions for Hamas Hostage Intel

Israel has launched an Arabic-language website called Makhtoufin (meaning “captives”) to encourage cooperation in securing the release of hostages held in Gaza. The site offers rewards worth millions of dollars and safe passage for individuals who assist in freeing hostages. It features photos, names, and ages of those taken by Hamas following the October 7, 2023, attack, where 1,200 people were killed. Communication options include WhatsApp, Telegram, and dedicated phone lines to contact Israeli forces.

However, the current version of the website lists individuals who are no longer captives, such as Farhan al-Qadi, freed during an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) operation in August, and six hostages whose bodies were recovered from a Gaza tunnel: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi.

This initiative is part of broader efforts by Israel to use financial incentives for hostage recovery. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced a $5 million reward per hostage and safe exit guarantees for captors and their families. Separately, former SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum had offered $100,000 for each live hostage in an Arabic video message, though the offer expired without results.

Despite these efforts, challenges such as unreliable intelligence have hindered progress. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack, 97 are believed to remain in Gaza, with 34 confirmed dead. Additionally, Hamas continues to hold two Israeli civilians and the bodies of two soldiers from earlier incidents in 2014 and 2015.