Talks to free the 239 hostages being held by Hamas have stalled after the militant group demanded Israel allow fuel deliveries into Gaza, a former US official with knowledge of the negotiations has told our partner site NBC News. 'Hamas has been insistent on receiving fuel,' they said.'The Israel and US side, plus other countries, want a large batch of their citizens released.'The former official asked not to be named as they have not been authorised to speak publicly.
The former US official, an Israeli official and a diplomat with knowledge of the talks, said discussions broke down before Israel launched the second phase of its offensive on Friday evening and sent ground troops into Gaza.The hostages are believed to include people with passports from as many as 25 foreign countries, including an estimated 54 Thais, 15 Argentines, 12 Americans, 12 Germans, six French and six Russians.