The Palestinian militant group Hamas has threatened to make the remaining Israeli hostages disappear, as Israel intensifies its offensive on Gaza City.
The group on Saturday published a photomontage and pictures of 47 hostages with the inscription Ron Arad.
Arad was an Israeli soldier who was captured after a warplane crash in Lebanon in 1986. His fate has been the subject of speculation and public concern because his remains were never found.
A dignified burial is of the greatest importance for many Israelis for religious and social reasons.
This especially applies to fallen soldiers: the Israeli army has a code that prescribes that soldiers “will not be left behind,” neither alive nor dead.
After Israel’s decision to occupy Gaza City despite warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe, Hamas vowed that no hostage would return to Israel alive.
It is believed that 20 of the 47 hostages were alive before Israel launched its full operation in Gaza City on Tuesday, and the families of the hostages were warned of the consequences of such a decision.
Some hostages have reportedly been moved from tunnels and relocated to different parts of the city to slow Israeli advances.
In the photomontage, Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of refusing to agree to a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
It also accuses Israeli military commander Eyal Zamir of carrying out the order to capture Gaza despite his alleged opposition.
The montage in Arabic and Hebrew clearly warns: “Because of Netanyahu’s refusal and Zamir’s submission, a farewell photo for the start of Operation Gaza.”
