An entrepreneur has announced a financial incentive of $100,000 (£77,000) for Gazans who return hostages alive to Israel.

In a video message posted online, former SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum announced the reward for the return of each living hostage, emphasising that the offer is valid until midnight on Wednesday.

In his video, Birnbaum, speaking in English with Arabic subtitles, expressed his desire to help the families of hostages. "This year was a terrible year,” he said. “It’s time to wrap things up, it’s time to move on."

He referenced Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's offer of immunity, adding that the payment could be made in cash or Bitcoin.

Birnbaum encouraged those in Gaza to take control of their lives and reach out to him via Telegram or WhatsApp, providing his contact information.

He later spoke to Channel 12 news, explaining that he had been considering how to assist the families of hostages for over a year and had now decided to make a compelling offer to those holding them.

Since the release of his video, he reported receiving over 50 messages, many of which contained threats or inappropriate content, but he noted some were potentially serious that are were being explored.

The announcement coincided with flyers allegedly dropped by the Israel Defence Forces in southern Gaza. Featuring an image of the dead Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, these urged the release of hostages and echoed statements made by Netanyahu.

The leaflets claimed, "Hamas will no longer rule Gaza" and promised safety for those who surrender their weapons and release hostages.

It is believed that 97 of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza. Around a third are feared no longer to be alive.