Hamas refused to release women to keep them from talking, US official says
An International Red Cross vehicle carrying hostages released by Hamas crosses the Rafah border point in the Gaza Strip towards Egypt on November 24, 2023.
A US official said Monday that Hamas militants likely held back on freeing female hostages, ending a pause in Israel's offensive, because it did not want them to speak publicly about sexual violence.
Israel had paused its offensive in Gaza as part of a US- and Qatari-brokered deal to free hostages seized by the militants during a lethal raid into Israel on October 7.
