(DailyDig.com) – On December 10, Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organization, stated that unless their demands were satisfied, none of the supposed 137 hostages under their control would be allowed to leave the region alive.
According to Israeli sources, the Gaza-Israel war began when Hamas terrorists launched a horrific assault on the southern area of Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians.
Abu Obeida, a known Hamas spokesman who hadn’t been seen in some weeks, issued a video in which he reiterated the threat. He said that no more kidnapped victims would be allowed to depart Gaza alive until Israel accommodated all of their demands in the discussions that collapsed at the beginning of December. Some of the demands included additional help for Gaza inhabitants as well as the release of Palestinian detainees.
Hamas released 105 hostages, which included 80 Israelis, for 240 Palestinian and Hamas prisoners during a week-long ceasefire that ended on December 1.
On December 9, Israel said that 137 hostages remained in Palestinian territory, while Hamas continues to hold the remains of 20 hostages that died in their custody.
It is unclear if Hamas will follow through with their threat. The captives are Hamas’ sole leverage against Israel, as they are used as human shields. The Hamas officials in exile in Doha, Qatar, would also prefer to keep the hostages alive in order to guarantee that Israel bargains with them rather than executing them, as they have pledged to do eventually.
Hamas has previously attempted to prevent Israeli military action by killing specific captives. In the most recent instance, Hamas asserted that Sahar Baruch, a 25-year-old captive from Kibbutz Be’eri, was slain in a rescue attempt by Israel. Israel said that Hamas assassinated Baruch, and the rescue effort killed only terrorists but discovered no captives in the raided site.
The latest warning might be an indication that Israel’s military pressure is having an effect, prompting Hamas to make dramatic threats in order to survive.
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