Germany, Hungary approved citizenship to Israeli hostages in Gaza: Israeli media

​​​​​​​JERUSALEM (AA) - Germany and Hungary have approved citizenship and issued passports to Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip to facilitate their release, according to media reports Wednesday.

''Some of the hostages who received German and Hungarian passports were freed in exchange for Israel’s release of convicted Palestinian terrorists and criminals'' in the last seven days of a humanitarian pause in December, said The Jerusalem Post.

''The Israelis who received passports have family members who were born in the Central European countries,'' it added.

The newspaper noted that ''Dual citizenship could play a role in the complex negotiations to rescue the hostages because of the intervention of foreign states seeking to protect their citizens.''

''It is unclear when the hostages were provided with the German and Hungarian passports,'' according to the newspaper.

The have been no comments from Germany and Hungary on the report.

The Israeli army said Jan. 4 that 136 hostages remained in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has pounded the Palestinian enclave since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on Oct. 7, killing at least 23,357 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 59,410 others, according to health authorities.

Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas offensive.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio