Former SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum is pledging a significant cash reward for anyone who can bring an Israeli prisoner from Gaza back to Israel.
In a viral video making the rounds on social media platforms, Birnbaum makes a heartfelt plea to the "good people in Gaza" and announces a $100,000 reward to anyone who can rescue an Israeli hostage from Hamas.
A Call To The 'Good People in Gaza'
"This was a terrible year. It's time to wrap things up. It's time to move on," Birnbaum states in the video, which is delivered in English with Arabic subtitles. "A few days ago, Benjamin Netanyahu promised free passage and immunity to anyone who delivers an Israeli prisoner to Israel. I would like to add to that a financial reward," he adds.
"Anyone who delivers from Gaza, a living Israeli prisoner, will receive $100,000 that would be paid either by cash or by Bitcoin, as you prefer." He adds that his limited-time offer is valid only until midnight on Wednesday, October 24.
Instructing those interested in grabbing the offer to act quickly, Birnbaum directs them to contact him privately via Telegram or WhatsApp. "It's time for you to take control of your life, to build a better future for yourself, your family and for your community. Do it today."
In an interview with Channel 12 News on Sunday, Birnbaum said his offer is part of his effort to do more to help the hostages.
"For more than a year, I've been asking myself what I can do for these families, for the hostages, and now I see my chance, so I decided to seek out the hostage holders myself and make them an offer they cannot refuse," he told the outlet.
A Glimpse Into Birnbaum's Outreach
He noted that he received over 50 messages in Arabic within the first 12 hours of posting the video. Most of these messages, he said, included threats, insults, or pornographic content, which he wasn't surprised to see.
However, Birnbaum said some messages appeared credible and were under investigation by security services. Birnbaum said other people, willing to lend a helping hand, have offered to increase his financial rewards. However, he did not disclose their identities.
Before Birnbaum's offer, Israeli forces had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar - the architect of the October 7, 2023 attacks in southern Israel. Hamas terrorists stormed the country on that day, dubbed "Black Saturday," killing 1,500 people and abducting around 240 hostages, later taking them to Gaza.
An all-out war broke out between Israel and Hamas after the attack, paving the way for an Israeli invasion of Gaza. Over the past year, 117 hostages have been released during temporary ceasefires or rescued in operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Tragically, a considerable number of the 101 hostages who remain captive are believed to be dead. Four Americans – Keith Siegel, 65, Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, Omer Neutra, 22, and Edan Alexander, 21 – remain trapped among them.
In October, Israel launched strikes aimed at Hezbollah's primary stronghold and a southern Lebanese city under its control, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of calls for a ceasefire.
Following the confirmation of Sinwar's death, Netanyahu gave Hamas terrorists a deal: anyone who released a hostage would be granted safe passage out of Gaza. He also confirmed that anyone who laid down their arms and returned hostages to Israel would receive immunity, according to a report by Haaretz.
