As outrage grows in Israel over hostage deaths, Hamas said it has laid out instructions on how to manage captives if Israeli forces close in on their positions. A spokesperson for the Palestinian militant group’s armed wing told Reuters that the orders were issued months ago.
The statement comes a day after Israel announced that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages, including an Israeli-American, from a tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the hostages were "brutally" murdered "a short while" before troops were able to reach them.
Hamas official Abu Ubaida said the instructions were given after Israel rescued four of its citizens, who were taken during the October 7 Hamas attacks, from the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza. The rescue operation, which took place in June, resulted in the deaths of at least 274 Palestinians, according to Gazan health officials.
"Let it be clear to everyone that, following the incident in Nuseirat, new instructions have been issued to the Mujahideen tasked with guarding the prisoners," Ubaida stated.
"These instructions outline how to handle the situation if the occupation army approaches the location where the prisoners are being held," he added, without going into specifics.
Ubaida further blamed the Israeli government for the deaths of the six hostages, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pursuing military operations instead of negotiating.
"Netanyahu's insistence to free prisoners through military pressure, instead of sealing a deal means they will be returned to their families in shrouds," Ubaida said. "Their families must choose whether they want them dead or alive."
Furious Israelis staged massive protests against the Netanyahu government in response to the discovery of six more dead hostages. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing families of those held captive by Hamas, has excoriated Netanyahu for failing to bring the hostages home.
"A deal for the return of the hostages has been on the table for over two months," the group said in a statement. "If it weren't for the thwarting of the deal, the hostages whose deaths we learned of this morning would probably be alive."
US President Joe Biden also hit out at Netanyahu, saying he was not doing enough to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal. The US, along with mediators from Qatar and Egypt, has been working for months to broker an agreement that would pause the fighting in Gaza and facilitate the release of the remaining hostages.
In a press conference Monday, Netanyahu rejected calls for a ceasefire, reiterating that the 11-month conflict in Gaza will only end once Hamas is eradicated.
"Israel will not accept the massacre of six hostages, Hamas will pay a heavy price," he said. "Iran’s axis of evil needs the Philadelphi corridors â€æ Israel must control it," Netanyahu added, referring to a strategic corridor along the Gaza-Egyptian border.
"No one is more committed to freeing the hostages than me. ... No one will preach to me on this issue," he asserted.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri accused the Israeli leader of trying to deflect responsibility for the hostages' deaths, saying, "Netanyahu killed the six prisoners and he is determined to kill the remaining ones. The Israelis should choose between Netanyahu or the deal."
Gazan health officials report that over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military response to the October 7 attacks, which left at least 1,200 dead in Israel and saw over 250 people taken hostage.
Source: India Today