Hostages being held in the Gaza Strip may have the same plight as Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who was kidnapped and went missing 36 years ago, Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the militant wing of the Palestinian movement Hamas, has said.
He added that Israel is “trying to renege on all its promises and just buy time” in the hostage crisis discussions and that “most likely, the hostages in Gaza in the future will face the same scenario as Ron Arad.”
Jerrymusa.com reports that while “the ball is currently in the court of Israel’s allies,” Abu Ubaida stressed that “time and opportunities are limited.”
Hamas Not Willing to Surrender
In addition, he warned Israel not to escalate military action in the Gaza Strip and said that any efforts to put pressure on Hamas “will not force the movement to abandon its positions,” but will instead incite its adherents to mount an even stronger defence.
Middle East tensions increased with the entry of Hamas terrorists into Israeli territory on Wednesday from the Gaza Strip.
After Hamas gunmen infiltrated Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, killing border settlement inhabitants and taking over 240 hostages.
Israel retaliated by initiating a military campaign in Gaza with the intention of liberating all individuals who had been kidnapped and destroying the Hamas political and military structures.
110 hostages were freed during the week-long humanitarian ceasefire that Egypt and Qatar mediated in late November 2023, according to Israel. The truce was shattered on December 1st, and hostilities have continued ever since.
After Hamas gunmen infiltrated Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, killing border settlement inhabitants and taking over 240 hostages, tensions in the Middle East Skyrocketed
Israel retaliated by initiating a military campaign in Gaza with the intention of liberating all individuals who had been kidnapped and destroying the Hamas political and military structures.
110 hostages were freed during the week-long humanitarian ceasefire that Egypt and Qatar mediated in late November 2023, according to Israel. The truce was shattered on December 1st, and hostilities have continued ever since.
Israeli media worries that there might just be 40 captives left in the hands of Hamas. Officially, the authorities of the Jewish state have not commented on such assumptions.