Hamas on Thursday said that any Israeli military escalation against Palestinians would most likely lead to the killing of some hostages, adding that the Israeli threats of war and blockade will not secure the release of the hostages.
In a televised speech, Hamas armed wing spokesman Abu Ubaida said Israel’s threats to resume the fighting or tighten the Gaza blockade would not secure the release of hostages, adding that the group was “ready for all possibilities”.
“The enemy’s threats in war and blockade would only bring them disappointment and will not lead to the release of its prisoners (hostages),” Reuters quoted Abu Ubaida as saying.
“We tell all those concerned that we have signs of life of all the remaining living hostages of the enemy and any escalation on Gaza will most likely result in the killing of some enemy prisoners (hostages) as in many previous cases,” he added,
Earlier, Hamas said US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats against Palestinians constituted support for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to back out of the Gaza ceasefire and intensify the siege of Gazans.
Trump demanded in a social media post on Wednesday that Hamas “release all of the hostages now, not later,” including the remains of dead hostages, “or it is OVER for you”.
His threats coincided with news that a Trump envoy had held secret talks with Hamas, apparently departing from a decades-old US policy of not negotiating with the Islamist Palestinian faction deemed a terrorist organisation by Washington.
“Trump’s repeated threats against our people represent support to Netanyahu to evade the agreement and tighten the siege and starvation against our people,” Reuters quoted Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua as saying in a text message.
“The best track to release the remaining Israeli prisoners is by… going into the second phase (of the ceasefire) and compelling it (Israel) to adhere to the agreement signed under the sponsorship of mediators,” he added.
The Gaza ceasefire deal that took effect in January calls for the remaining hostages to be freed in a second phase, during which final pl