Gulf Arab state Bahrain calls for Hamas-Israel ‘hostage trade’

The crown prince of Gulf Arab state Bahrain on Friday called for a “hostage trade” between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel in order to achieve
a break in hostilities that he said could lead to an end to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa also said that security would not be realised without a two-state solution, in which he described the United States as “indispensable” in achieving.
“It is a time for straight talking,” he said, urging Hamas to release Israeli women and children held hostage in Gaza and for Israel in exchange to release from its prisons Palestinian women and children, who he described as non-combatants.
“The intention is to break so people can take stock, can bury their dead, people can finally start to grieve and maybe people can start to ask themselves about the intelligence failure that led to this crisis in the first place,” he said
Fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar has been leading mediation efforts between the Islamist militant group and Israeli officials for the release of more than 240 hostages.