Hamas, shared a compilation picture of the remaining 47 Israeli hostages held in Gaza on Saturday. Hamas said that the image released was a farewell picture and each hostage has been labelled as “Ron Arad”, an Israeli Air Force navigator who was captured in 1986. Along with it, the hostages were also given a number.
The text on the image accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of rejecting a ceasefire-hostage deal and blamed the IDF Chief of Staff for going ahead with the invasion of Gaza despite his reported opposition to it.
It reads, “Because of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s refusal, and [IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal] Zamir’s capitulation, a parting image as the military operation in Gaza City begins.”
According to a report by Ynet, an Israeli publication, officials say out of the 47 hostages, only 20 are believed to be alive. 2 of the remaining hostages are in a grave condition and the rest are dead.
A statement from al-Qassam Brigades said, “Your prisoners are distributed within the neighborhoods of Gaza City, and we will not be concerned for their lives as long as Netanyahu has decided to kill them,” as reported by CNN.
“The commencement of this criminal operation and its expansion means that you will not receive any prisoner, neither alive nor dead, and their fate will be the same as that of (Ron Arad).”
During the ceasefire between January and March 2024, Hamas released 30 hostages – 20 Israeli civilians, five soldiers, and five Thai nationals. They also released the bodies of eight killed Israeli captives. In May, they released an American-Israeli hostage as a “gesture” to the United States.
Israel, in exchange, released 2,000 prisoners and detainees.
Israeli strikes killed at least 14 people overnight in Gaza City, said health officials, as Israel ramps up its offensive there and urges Palestinians to leave.
The strikes come as Western countries are getting fed up with the intensifying war in Gaza with some moving to recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly next week.
The latest Israeli operation, which started this week, further escalates a conflict that has roiled the Middle East and likely pushes any ceasefire farther out of reach.
