Liberal Forum

A senior Hamas official said the militant Palestinian group is ready to release all civilian hostages, foreign and Israeli, if Israel will stop its barrage of airstrikes on Gaza as Israel prepares for a land offensive.  The hostages could be released within the hour if Israel meets the terms, the official told NBC, but added that there is currently no safe place to release the hostages.
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The Hamas official said the priority is to stop "aggression and death" in Gaza, and that he is more concerned with the Palestinian citizens' fate than he is with the hostages.