Hamas threatens to disappear remaining hostages amid Gaza City attack

The Palestinian militant organization Hamas has threatened to disappear the remaining Israeli hostages it holds, as Israel steps up its offensive in Gaza City.

The group on Saturday published a photo montage and pictures of 47 hostages captioned with the name Ron Arad.

Arad was an Israeli soldier who was taken prisoner after crashing a warplane in Lebanon in 1986. His fate has been the source of heavy speculation and public concern ever since, as his remains have never been found.

A dignified funeral is of the utmost importance for many Israelis for religious and social reasons.

This is especially true for fallen soldiers: The Israeli military has a code that stipulates that soldiers “will not be left behind,” neither alive nor dead.

Following Israel’s decision to capture Gaza City despite warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe, Hamas has promised that none of the hostages will return to Israel alive.

Around 20 of the 47 hostages were believed to be alive before Israel launched its full operation in Gaza City early on Tuesday, with hostage families warning of the consequences of the decision.

Some hostages have reportedly been moved out of tunnels and distributed across several parts of the city to slow the Israeli advance.

In the photo montage, Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of refusing to agree to a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.

It also condemns Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir for carrying out the order to conquer Gaza City despite his reported opposition.

The montage is captioned in Arabic and Hebrew with a clear warning: “Due to Netanyahu’s refusal and Zamir’s submission, a farewell photo for the start of Operation Gaza.”