Topline
Civilian hostages will be executed by the militant group Hamas following attacks “without prior warning” on Gazan civilians sheltering in their homes, a spokesperson for the group’s military wing said Monday, after the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced earlier that the group had captured more than 100 civilians.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the militant group had captured more than 100 people.
Key Facts
Abu Ubaida—a spokesperson for Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades—told Al Jazeera in a statement Monday that Hamas will execute hostages if any innocent civilians in Gaza are targeted without warning, adding the group would be “forced to broadcast this execution.”
Ubaida also emphasized that all Israeli hostages were safe, as the group was acting in accordance with Islam, according to Reuters.
Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, indicated to the Arabic news outlet al-Ghad TV that the number of Israeli hostages “hasn’t been counted yet, but they are over a hundred,” according to CNN.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for Israel’s military, said the Israeli army had a complete list of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip and that some affected families had been notified, according to the Washington Post, adding that Israel was also holding hundreds of Palestinian captives.
Crucial Quote
“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,” Ubaida said, adding, “Our enemy does not understand the values or ethics.”
Big Number
At least 1,460. That’s the total Israeli and Palestinian death toll, according to reports from the Israeli Health Ministry and the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Of these, 560 Palestinians have been killed and 2,900 have been injured, in addition to more than 900 Israelis who have been killed and 2,500 others who are injured.
Key Background
Hamas militants entered southern Israel from the Gaza Strip over the weekend before carrying out one of the deadliest attacks on Israel in decades. The conflict follows more than a decade of on-and-off war with Hamas, a Palestinian militant group that has been designed by the U.S. as a terrorist organization. Israeli officials previously said an unknown number of Israelis—including civilians, children and members of the military—had been captured during the weekend. Some attendees at an outdoor concert and dance party near the Gaza-Israel border on Saturday had been taken hostage, in addition to at least 260 people who were killed. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Hamas’ attack as “unacceptable,” while calling on the militant group to release all of its hostages. Americans are among the hostages taken from Israel to the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, though it is unknown how many were captured.
Further Reading
At Least 9 Americans Killed in Hamas Attack On Israel—Total Deaths Eclipse 1,200 (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/10/09/hamas-threatens-to-execute-israeli-civilian-hostages-for-unprompted-attacks-on-gaza/