Israeli military: “Killing hostages will not improve the situation”
Hamas claims 4 hostages killed in Israeli bombing
Possibility of hostage exchange discussed… Opposed to “going against the sentiment of the people”
The conflict is intensifying as Israel continues its attacks while Hamas threatens to execute hostages if it does not stop its airstrikes in Gaza.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and CNN on the 10th (local time), Richard Hecht, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), expressed his intention to continue airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, saying, “Killing hostages will not improve the situation.”
The IDF announced in a statement today that dozens of Israeli warplanes attacked more than 200 targets in the Gaza Strip overnight.
Earlier, Abu Obaida, spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement released through an Arab satellite news channel, “If you target civilian homes without prior warning, we will execute one of the hostages we are holding and broadcast it to you.” warned.
Hamas claimed that four hostages, including a 19-year-old Israeli soldier, were killed in the Israeli bombing. CNN and the Washington Post (WP) also reported that through their own analysis of the video, it was determined that at least four Israeli civilians were killed.
Israel understands that Hamas is holding about 150 hostages. Hamas claimed to be holding about 100 prisoners, including senior Israeli officers.
Israel is retaliating by completely blocking the Gaza Strip and conducting airstrikes following Hamas’ surprise attack on the 7th. However, as concerns arise that Hamas may execute hostages or use them as human shields, it is considering its next military action, including launching a ground war.
One of the options is the return of hostages through prisoner exchange negotiations. Israel is detaining 4,499 Palestinians, including 183 from the Gaza Strip, for security reasons.
However, the possibility of it being adopted is currently low as Hamas could demand the release of hundreds to thousands of Palestinians in return. The explanation is that by giving Hamas a victory on the front line, it goes against the sentiment of the Israeli people, whose hostility toward Hamas has reached its peak.
“We are worried about the hostages,” said Ariel Hyman, an Israeli reserve brigadier general and senior fellow at the Tel Aviv think tank National Security Institute. “The hostages this time are citizens, including women and children,” he said. “But now is the time to fight Hamas, and all Israelis support this.”
The extreme right wing of the Israeli government is calling for military operations without concessions. At a cabinet meeting held on the 7th, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged, “We must brutally attack Hamas and not consider the hostage issue as important.”
There are also signs that the Israeli government is seeking a deal through Egyptian mediation that would at least secure the release of women and children.
However, officials said Hamas is making it clear that it will not enter into negotiations unless it secures the release of thousands of Palestinians detained in Israel.
As Israel is a small country with a population of about 9.3 million, it has engaged in dramatic negotiations for the release of at least a small number of hostages. When Israel released Israeli soldiers who had been held captive for more than five years in 2011, Israel exchanged 1,027 Palestinians, including senior Hamas leaders.
The U.S. Department of Defense has announced its intention to help Israel if it launches a hostage rescue operation.
According to WSJ, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin offered Israel assistance in planning a hostage rescue operation, and the IDF said it is not currently considering a hostage rescue operation.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also announced after a cabinet meeting the previous day, “I am opposed to innocent people being harmed, whether in Israel or Palestine,” and that he was ready to mediate the dispute if requested by the Israeli government.
Source: Donga