Premier Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is offering 5 million shekels, approximately 15 million kronor, as a reward to whoever manages to rescue a hostage from Gaza.
"Whoever can get a hostage out will receive help from us (Israel) to leave Gaza, together with their family, in a safe manner", said Netanyahu in a video recording, where he also promised the reward.
Netanyahu wore a helmet and bulletproof vest in the recording. The Mediterranean Sea was visible behind him in the recording, which was made in the so-called Netzarim corridor, which separates the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip.
He also threatened those who took the hostages:
"Whoever dares to harm our hostages can consider themselves dead – we will hunt you down and we will catch up with you".
Beside the Premier Minister stood Israel's relatively newly appointed Defense Minister, previously Finance and Foreign Minister Israel Katz from Netanyahu's party Likud.
Terror-listed Hamas and additional Islamist extremist groups still hold a large number of hostages after the attacks against Israel last year.
251 people were taken as hostages in the attack on October 7. Of these, 97 are believed to still be in Gaza – but 34 of them have been confirmed dead in captivity.
The Israeli government under Netanyahu's leadership is continuously criticized by large groups in Israel for not doing enough to free the hostages in Gaza.
