Hamas terrorists only returned the American mother and daughter who were being held hostage on Friday for “calculated” reasons, one expert said.
In a conversation with The Post on Friday, former FBI agent and hostage team expert Christopher O’Leary warned the public not to fall for Hamas’ claim that they freed Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, for “humanitarian reasons.” “
“They [returned the Raanans] for calculated reasons,” O’Leary scoffed, noting that “Hamas doesn’t have a humanitarian bone in its body.”
“This is a deliberate and calculated measure, not a gesture of good will or good faith… they are playing a long game with the hostages,” he concluded.
O’Leary speculated that Judith or Natalie possibly had “medical issues” that prevented the terrorist group from holding them in Gaza long-term; Sources later told the Times of Israel that the two women were released due to Judith’s health.
Judith and Natalie Raanan were released by Hamas on Friday, almost two weeks after being taken hostage.AP
“[Hamas] “They may be doing this to build some credibility as negotiators,” O’Leary opined, referring to the ongoing effort to broker some peace between Hamas and Israel, which had been locked in a bloody tug-of-war since the first Operation Al- Aqsa flood on October 7.
“Right now he doesn’t look like a legitimate negotiator,” he explained.
“You must be able to demonstrate that you are a legitimate partner in an exchange.”
Palestinians transport a captured Israeli civilian from Kibbutz Kfar Azza to the Gaza Strip during a deadly attack on the community on October 7. AP Photos of hostages captured by Hamas are displayed on electronic billboards in New York’s Times Square. James Keivom
“[Releasing the Raanans] “It also helps counter the narrative that Biden put out yesterday, directly attacking Hamas and categorizing it as a terrorist organization,” O’Leary added.
But despite Hamas’s supposed best efforts, O’Leary concluded, the group remains “the quintessential terrorist organization.”
“The taking of hostages is a violation of international law and human rights,” he said.
Speaking to The Post just a day before Judith and Natalie Raanan were freed, O’Leary admitted that a military rescue was probably out of the question for the 203 hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
“We haven’t seen a case like this in the modern era,” he said.
Instead, he suggested, the United States and Qatar should take the lead in negotiating favorable releases.
In its official statement on the release of the Raanan, Hamas confirmed that the agreement was reached in part thanks to Qatar’s intervention.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn