Al-Qassam Brigade claims two hostages killed in Israeli airstrike
The Palestinian armed political faction Hamas announced on the 11th (local time) that it would suspend hostage negotiations in the event of an attack after Israel announced a ground battle in the Rafah area, the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip.
According to CNN, Al Jazeera, etc., a senior Hamas official said through its own TV channel Al-Aqsa that hostage exchange negotiations would be “blow up” if Israel launches a ground attack on Rafah.
It said it meant “destruction” of negotiations that have been going on for several weeks.
The Hamas military organization Al-Qassam Brigades claimed that two Israeli hostages they were holding were killed and eight were injured in an airstrike by the Israeli military that day.
Al-Qassam Brigades explained that the hostages’ condition was becoming more dangerous due to their inability to provide adequate medical treatment. He pointed out that Israel was fully responsible for the lives of the injured hostages.
Earlier, on the 9th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “A large-scale military operation is inevitable in Rafah to completely eradicate Hamas,” and ordered the military to “prepare an evacuation plan for Rafah residents.” He ordered the operation to be completed before March 10, when the Islamic holy month of fasting, Ramadan, begins.
Rafah is the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt. It is estimated that up to 1.4 million people, more than half of the 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip, are currently taking refuge there.
Despite warnings and concerns from the international community, Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly emphasized that he would definitely advance to Rafah in an interview with ABC, USA, aired on the 11th.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that “victory is just around the corner” in the war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and argued that opposing Hamas troops’ entry into Rafah, the last remaining holdout, “is like telling them to lose the war.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.