ALBAWABA – On Saturday, Hamas' armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, released what they called a "farewell photo" of dozens of Israeli hostages. This happened while Israeli forces were launching a large-scale ground offensive into Gaza City.
The picture showed 47 hostages still being held by the group. About 250 people were taken during Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Al-Qassam shared the picture on its Telegram channel with a caption that said, "A farewell photo as the operation in Gaza begins." The caption mentioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and military chief of staff Eyal Zamir.
Hamas said on Thursday that the hostages were spread out across neighborhoods in Gaza and that their safety would not be guaranteed as long as Israeli operations continued.
"The start and growth of the Gaza invasion means you won't get any captives, alive or dead." The statement said, "Their fate will be like that of Ron Arad," referring to an Israeli airman who has been missing since 1986.
Hamas has also said that its "Shadow Unit," which is in charge of keeping the hostages safe, could be told to kill them if Israeli troops try to rescue them.
