The Hamas terrorist organization has issued a threat to carry out executions of Israeli hostages held in Gaza should Israel persist with military operations in the coastal enclave.
Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas' military wing, cautioned in an audio statement sent to Al-Jazeera Monday that the terror group would not only carry out hostage executions, but publicly disseminate images and videos of such actions if Israel continues with their current bombing of Hamas infrastructure.
Obeida told the Qatar based news channel “we believe in our religious and moral ethics as expressed by our chief of staff and his announcement of Al Aqsa operation. We also believe in the tenet of our faith Islam for preserving the lives of women and children and prisoners of war, however, in the face of indiscriminately attacking our residential areas, killing our women, children, and elderly, and as our enemy does not understand the values or ethics, then we speak to them in their own language."
The spokesperson continued by saying "from this moment on, we announce that any targeting of innocent civilians without warning will be met regretfully to say, by executing one of the hostages in our custody, and we will be forced to broadcast this execution.”
Although the Israeli government has not publicly disclosed the number of its citizens that have been captured by Hamas, a military official from Israel told the New York Times Monday that the number was at least 150 people. The hostages have been reported as being of various ages, including children and the elderly.
Obeida also stated on Telegram that the hostages are being held in “safe places and the tunnels of the resistance.”
The Israeli army said Monday that Israel's death toll from the invasion has risen to more than 1,000.
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