Blinken Denies Haaretz Account That Qatar Relayed Hamas Offer to Free Hostages

Overview

• Haaretz reported this week that on Oct. 7, 2023 Qatar conveyed a Hamas message offering the unconditional release of civilian hostages under 18 and over 50 and that Israel would not discuss the proposal.
• Antony Blinken issued a direct and categorical denial on Wednesday, calling the Haaretz account “false. Complete fiction.”
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also denied the report and threatened to sue Haaretz for libel while the newspaper has defended its reporting and said it will stand by its sources in court.
• The story has split public figures and media voices, with commentators amplifying Haaretz’s account and former Israeli prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Ehud Olmert saying they believe it, while critics like Rep. Rashida Tlaib have used the denial to intensify political attacks on U.S. policy.
• No independent public documents have been released to verify either version of events, a gap that leaves major questions about early post‑Oct. 7 negotiations and could trigger legal battles and renewed diplomatic scrutiny of Qatar’s mediating role.