On 20/9, Hamas shared portraits of 47 Israeli hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, labeling them "farewell photos". Each hostage in the image was labeled "Ron Arad" and numbered from 1 to 47.
Ron Arad was an Israeli air force navigator captured in 1986 after his plane crashed in southern Lebanon. His fate remains a mystery, though he is presumed dead. Arad's case became a national issue in Israel for decades.
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The image released by Hamas on 20/9, shows portraits of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Photo: NDTV |
The image released by Hamas on 20/9, shows portraits of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Photo: NDTV
Hamas's use of Arad's name for the hostages is seen as a threatening message, implying their fate may remain unknown, like his.
The message accompanying the image accuses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of rejecting a ceasefire and hostage exchange. It also criticizes IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir for continuing the Gaza offensive despite reportedly opposing it.
"Due to the stubbornness of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the surrender of Lieutenant General Zamir, a farewell photo was taken as the operation in Gaza City began," Hamas wrote.
A statement from the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, warned the hostages "are dispersed among residential neighborhoods in Gaza City and we will not care about their lives as long as Prime Minister Netanyahu decides to kill them".
"Initiating and promoting this criminal campaign also means that you will not receive any hostages, dead or alive, and their fate will be like Ron Arad," the statement emphasized.
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Gaza City residents evacuating on 19/9. Photo: AFP |
Gaza City residents evacuating on 19/9. Photo: AFP
During a ceasefire between January and 3/2024, Hamas released 30 hostages: 20 Israeli civilians, five soldiers, and five Thai citizens. They also returned the bodies of eight deceased Israeli prisoners. In May, Hamas released another dual US-Israeli citizen as a "gesture of goodwill" to Washington. In return, Israel released 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
However, hostage exchanges have stalled since then, with both sides failing to agree on a ceasefire. On 16/9, Israel launched a ground operation in Gaza City after weeks of intense airstrikes, aiming to "eradicate" Hamas.
Hundreds of thousands of residents have evacuated, while families of Israeli hostages urge their government to halt the offensive, fearing for the lives of those held captive.
Vu Hoang (via NDTV, AFP, Reuters)
