Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has rejected a Haaretz report alleging that on the evening of October 7, 2023, he advised Qatar to hold off on a Hamas offer to release civilian hostages. "For the record, this is false," Blinken wrote in response to a social media post about the article. "Complete fiction."
The Haaretz account is drawn from a forthcoming book, Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment, by journalists Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval. According to the report, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani called Mossad Director David Barnea at around 7 p.m. that day after speaking with Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khalil al-Hayya. The Qatari leader allegedly said Hamas was ready to free all civilians with Qatar mediating. Barnea reportedly answered that if Hamas wanted to release the civilians, it should do so, and that Israel was not prepared to speak with Hamas.
The same report includes a significant qualifier. Barnea's associates later said Hamas had attached unacceptable conditions to the proposal, including halting an Israeli ground incursion and changes regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
According to Haaretz, the Qatari side then contacted Blinken, who allegedly said the situation was complex, that Israel was still under attack, and that he would raise the matter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in person. Secondary coverage differs on who made that call. The Times of Israel reported that Haaretz named Qatar's prime minister, while the Jerusalem Post reported that Haaretz named Qatari Emir Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Blinken's denial came after Ryan Grim, a founder of Drop Site News, reposted an excerpt and claimed Blinken could have freed every civilian hostage but "wanted war." It is not clear whether Blinken was disputing the story in whole or in part.
The book also describes a second channel. It alleges that on October 8, Yahya Sinwar had an aide call an associate of Mohammed Dahlan and pledge the release of civilian hostages who were minors or over 50, without conditions, and that the Shin Bet responded that Netanyahu no longer wanted to talk. No Israeli official has confirmed that account.
The public record from the time shows contact but no offer. A State Department readout confirms Blinken spoke with the Qatari prime minister on October 7, 2023, about halting the Hamas attacks, reaffirming Israel's right to self-defense. The readout does not mention hostages. Two weeks later, Blinken thanked the Qatari prime minister for Qatar's help in securing the release of two Americans held by Hamas.
The hostage claims appeared alongside a separate, more explosive allegation in the same Haaretz report: that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu about a major Hamas operation in the days before the attack. Netanyahu has denied it and instructed his lawyers to file a defamation suit against Haaretz, Eldar, and others, saying no conversation took place between him and the UAE president from the start of September until October 7. An official UAE source also rejected the claim, telling The National that Abu Dhabi handles security matters through professional channels rather than at the level of national leaders. An unnamed Emirati source had earlier confirmed the report to The Times of Israel, and Naftali Bennett called it true. Haaretz says it stands by its reporting.
Netanyahu's office has accused Haaretz and Eldar of a politically motivated campaign timed to the election.
None of the book's hostage claims has been independently confirmed.
