Why the hostage negotiations with Hamas took so long - opinion

Former US President Joe Biden's advisor Brett McGurk revealed details of the hostage release negotiations, stating that Hamas repeatedly provided misleading information to mediators, complicating the process. His account diverges from the prevalent version in Israel, where Netanyahu is seen as the main obstacle.

Former US President Joe Biden's advisor Brett McGurk revealed new details of the negotiations for the release of hostages captured after the Hamas attack on October 7. He claims that representatives of the group repeatedly provided misleading information to mediators, thereby complicating the negotiation process. McGurk's testimony diverges from the prevalent version in Israel, according to which Netanyahu and his government were the main obstacle to a deal with Hamas. The former Biden advisor, who personally participated in diplomatic contacts, spoke about the tactics of Hamas militants and the difficulties faced by mediators. His account, given three years after October 7, became a rare public testimony about the closed side of the negotiations. The hostage release negotiations remain one of the most controversial political topics in Israel. Opponents of the government accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of making decisions that hindered reaching an agreement. In the prime minister's camp, on the contrary, they insisted that it was Hamas that stalled progress by deliberately dragging out the negotiations.