JERUSALEM — Amid growing frustration over the lack of a ceasefire deal in the year-long Gaza war, Israeli entrepreneurs have turned to unconventional methods to secure the release of hostages, offering financial rewards to anyone willing to free them. Former SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum announced on social media that he would pay $100,000 in cash or bitcoin to “anyone who delivers from Gaza a living Israeli prisoner.”
Birnbaum’s offer, valid until midnight Wednesday, has already attracted about 100 calls, though most were pranks or threats. However, “10 to 20 could be legitimate,” said Birnbaum, who has forwarded those to Israeli authorities for further verification. He believes that some civilians in Gaza, unaffiliated with Hamas, may have knowledge of the hostages and could be motivated by the reward.
The initiative comes after Hamas militants took 251 hostages during an attack on October 7, 2023, killing 1,206 people. Of the hostages, 97 remain in Gaza, including 34 who are presumed dead. The Israeli military has since launched a retaliatory campaign, resulting in over 42,000 deaths in Gaza, according to UN-verified reports from the Hamas-run health ministry.
Birnbaum’s initiative was soon joined by Israeli-American real estate developer David Hager, who has already raised $400,000, with plans to grow the fund to $10 million by soliciting donations from wealthy individuals. Hager believes that financial incentives could be a key to securing the hostages’ release, urging other business leaders to contribute.
Flyers dropped over Gaza by the Israeli army have also promised safe passage for Palestinians who release hostages or provide information about their whereabouts. However, experts like Michael Milshtein of Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Centre are skeptical of the initiative’s effectiveness, believing that only a handful of individuals may accept such offers.
Gaza residents, like 33-year-old Muhammad al-Najjar, have dismissed the flyers, viewing them as ineffective. Najjar argues that Hamas is unlikely to release hostages without negotiating a return and stressed the importance of a ceasefire deal to ensure their freedom.
Previous attempts to secure a ceasefire have failed, with a one-week truce in November 2023 resulting in the release of 105 hostages, including 80 Israelis, in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. Since then, negotiations have stalled, leaving both sides to blame each other for the impasse.