Relatives and friends attend the funeral of Alexander Lobanov, whose body was among six recovered from the Gaza Strip where Israeli hostages are being held by Palestinian militants since October, at the Ashkelon cemetery in southern Israel. (Image: AFP)
Hamas tied the decisions that Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu is taking with regards to Gaza to the fate of the hostages trapped there.
Hamas on Wednesday threatened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with deaths of Israeli hostages who remain trapped in the coastal enclave after they were kidnapped from southern Israel during the October 7 attacks.
“Aggression stops = prisoners return alive. Aggression continues = prisoners’ fate unknown,” Hamas said in a post on the group’s official Telegram channel.
After the Israeli military recovered the bodies of six captives in Gaza earlier this week, 64 people believed to be alive are still being held there by Hamas.
Of the original 251 hostages taken on October 7, 2023, 117 mainly women, children and foreign workers, have been released, mostly during a week-long truce in November when they were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
While 64 are still held hostage and believed to be alive, the Israeli army says 70 others are confirmed to be dead, of whom 33 bodies are still in Gaza.
The military has repatriated the bodies of 37 hostages who died either in Gaza or were killed on October 7 and whose bodies were taken to the territory.
Of the 64 who may still be alive, 57 are Israelis (some of whom have more than one nationality), six are Thai nationals and one is a Nepalese national.
They comprise 52 men, 10 women, and two children. Eleven are military personnel, including five women.
“Every day that Netanyahu continues to rule may mean a new coffin. The decision is yours,” Hamas said in a message posted in English, Arabic and Hebrew.
Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Hamas militants “executed” six hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza, shooting them “in the back of the head”.
“These murderers executed six of our hostages, they shot them in the back of the head,” he said during a press conference, rejecting the notion that Israel should respond with “concessions” in Gaza ceasefire talks.
“Whoever murders hostages — does not want a deal,” he had said.
Netanyahu also insisted on Monday that Israeli forces must retain control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border, which has emerged as a primary sticking point in talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
Hamas is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from the area as part of the stalled talks.
(with inputs from AFP and ABC)
