Hamas has announced that the fate of many Israeli hostages held by the group is unknown as Israel’s deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip continues.
“Many hostages have probably been killed, while they remain in immediate danger every hour,” said Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qaasam Brigades, in a speech marking 100 days since Israel launched its assault on the Gaza Strip.
He emphasized that Israel is “fully responsible for the safety of the Israeli hostages”.
Hamas is believed to be holding around 136 Israelis after the October 7 cross-border attack.
Israel launched air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip after a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, which killed at least 23,968 Palestinians and wounded 60,582.
According to the United Nations, 85 percent of Gaza’s population is internally displaced and faces acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
