Israel shows ambassadors with Palestine statehood plan hostage video

Tel Aviv, May 24 (IANS/DPA) The Ambassadors of Spain and Ireland as well as the Norwegian representative to Israel have been reprimanded at the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

They were also shown a video on Thursday of the brutal capture of army observers on October 7 by militants from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz had already announced this plan on Wednesday together with the summoning of the diplomats. Israeli media had also been invited to the screening of the video.

In a subsequent statement, the Foreign Ministry said that the recognition of a Palestinian state by the governments of Norway, Spain, and Ireland would give Hamas a boost and make it even more difficult to push ahead with an agreement to release hostages.

The video was released in Israel on Wednesday evening -- at the urging of the families of the young women, who want to put pressure on the resumption of negotiations for the release of the hostages.

The footage was taken from the helmets and bodycams of Hamas militants who were involved in the attack on the military base where the observers were working.

Even though images of those killed and the worst scenes of violence had been edited out, the video clearly shows the fear of the bound and sometimes bleeding young women and the threatening situation.

Israel reacted with outrage to the announcement by the three countries that they wanted to recognise a Palestinian state.

In addition to summoning the countries' representatives to the Foreign Ministry, Katz had also ordered the recall of the Israeli Ambassadors in Oslo, Dublin, and Madrid for immediate consultations.

Source: IANS