Hamas Releases ‘Farewell Picture’ Of Israeli Captives As Fighting Escalates In Gaza

<p>The armed wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, on Saturday released what it described as a &ldquo;farewell picture&rdquo; of 48 Israeli captives as the Israeli army intensified its assault on Gaza City, the largest urban centre in the besieged enclave.</p>
<p>The image, circulated online, showed a compilation of faces of both living and deceased captives. Each was labelled &ldquo;Ron Arad&rdquo; &mdash; a reference to the Israeli air force navigator who went missing in Lebanon in 1986 after his aircraft was downed. Arad was captured by the Amal Movement and later handed over to Hezbollah. His fate remains uncertain to this day.</p>
<h2>Hamas message and context</h2>
<p>Alongside the photo, Hamas issued a statement blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s rejection of negotiations and army chief Eyal Zamir&rsquo;s &ldquo;capitulation&rdquo; as Israel presses ahead with its ground and air offensive in Gaza.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Because of Netanyahu&rsquo;s refusal, and Zamir&rsquo;s capitulation, a farewell picture as the military operation in Gaza City begins,&rdquo; the text read.</p>
<p>Hamas has repeatedly warned that an intensified assault could endanger the lives of captives, claiming that many are &ldquo;scattered throughout the neighbourhoods&rdquo; of Gaza City. The group also said some hostages have already been killed in Israeli airstrikes.</p>
<h2>Conflicting estimates of captives&rsquo; condition</h2>
<p>Israeli authorities believe around 20 captives remain alive in Gaza, though former US President Donald Trump has suggested the number could be fewer. Both Trump and Netanyahu have vowed to bring back all captives &mdash; living or dead &mdash; while pledging to &ldquo;destroy Hamas.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Earlier this month, Hamas released videos of Israeli captives, including emaciated men, one of whom appeared to be digging his own grave. The footage sparked outrage among families, Israeli officials, and international allies.</p>
<h2>Public pressure in Israel</h2>
<p>The Hamas announcement came just hours before large protests were expected across Israel, with tens of thousands of demonstrators in Tel Aviv and other cities demanding a deal to end the war and secure the return of the captives.</p>
<p>The fate of the hostages remains one of the most emotionally charged issues in Israel, fuelling public anger against the government as the conflict in Gaza grinds on with mounting casualties on both sides.</p>