The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, issued a stark warning that the lives of Israeli hostages are in immediate jeopardy due to the ongoing military operations in Gaza. In a statement reported by Al Jazeera, the group declared that the hostages are “dispersed throughout the districts of Gaza City,” and that their safety will not be guaranteed as long as Prime Minister Netanyahu “chooses to kill them.”
The statement further asserted that the “beginning of the criminal operation in Gaza City and its expansion means the enemy will not retrieve a single prisoner, alive or dead.” The Al-Qassam Brigades characterized Israel’s ground incursion as an “attrition war” that will result in additional casualties and captured soldiers for the Israeli forces.
Addressing the Israeli leadership directly, the group vowed, “We say to the enemy’s leadership that Gaza will not be an easy target for your army.”