Hamas threatens that hostages remaining in Gaza may go missing
Spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades Abu Ubaida emphasized that at the moment "the ball is in the court of Israel's allies," but "time and opportunities are limited"
CAIRO, April 23. /TASS/. 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.
"Most likely, the hostages in Gaza in the future will face the same scenario as Ron Arad," he said, adding that Israel in the hostage crisis talks is "trying to renege on all its promises and just buy time."
Abu Ubaida emphasized that at the moment "the ball is in the court of Israel's allies," but "time and opportunities are limited."
He also cautioned Israel against military escalation in the Gaza Strip and noted that any attempts to exert pressure on Hamas "will not force the movement to abandon its positions," but on the contrary will encourage its supporters to defend themselves even more fiercely.
Tensions in the Middle East soared after the infiltration of Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, accompanied by the killing of residents of border settlements and the capture of more than 240 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in Gaza with the aim to destroy the Hamas military and political infrastructure and to free all those abducted. In late November 2023, Egypt and Qatar brokered a temporary humanitarian truce that lasted a week, during which time 110 hostages were released, according to Israel. On December 1, the ceasefire was broken and hostilities resumed to have lasted to this day.
Israeli media fears that no more than 40 surviving hostages may now remain in the hands of Hamas. Officially, the authorities of the Jewish state have not commented on such assumptions.