CAIRO (Reuters) – The spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, announced on Monday that the group has issued new instructions to guards on how to handle hostages if Israeli forces approach their locations in Gaza.
On Sunday, the Israeli military reported the recovery of the bodies of six hostages from a tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, claiming that Hamas was responsible for their deaths. Ubaida said his group holds Israel responsible for the deaths.
He said the new instructions, which he didn’t detail, were given to guards of hostages after a rescue operation by Israel in June. At that time, Israeli forces freed four hostages in a deadly raid in which dozens of Palestinians, including women and children, were killed.
“Netanyahu’s insistence to free prisoners through military pressure, instead of sealing a deal means they will be returned to their families in shrouds. Their families must choose whether they want them dead or alive,” he said.
Israel and Hamas have failed to conclude a deal that would end the war and see the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held in Gaza in return for many Palestinians jailed by Israel.
Hamas wants any agreement to end the war and get Israeli forces out of Gaza while Netanyahu says the war can only end once Hamas is defeated.
(Reporting by Jaidaa Taha, Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Adam Makary; Editing by Mark Porter)
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