Al-Qassam Brigades release video showing Israeli hostages killed in Israeli airstrikes

By Moahmmed Majed

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, released a video Saturday addressed to the families of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip.

It included images of several hostages who were killed in Israeli airstrikes.

“Your own army, under orders from Netanyahu, insulted your captives' dignity; alive and dead,” said the video that had previous statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and army spokesperson Daniel Hagari, shown behind bullet-riddled glass.

"Since the beginning of the war, we have been working to return all the hostages home, and when I say all, I mean all,” said Netanyahu in the video. Gallant states, “We are making tremendous efforts to return the hostages."

Haggai added, "We have a moral duty to do everything in our power to return the hostages to their homes."

A phrase appeared on the video: "This is how Netanyahu, his army, and the war council killed your citizens in captivity," followed by images of several hostages who were dead, bloodied and covered in dust, indicating they were killed in an Israeli airstrike on buildings in Gaza.

The video ended with the phrase: "This is how they will bring them back," followed by "Time is running out."

Through the mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, Hamas and Israel have been engaged for months in stalled indirect negotiations to reach an agreement to exchange hostages and end the war on Gaza that erupted on Oct. 7.

Israel has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians since a cross-border attack by Hamas that claimed less than 1,200 lives and 250 others taken as hostage.

Some of the captives were released in exchange for a brief truce and release of Palestinian prisoners in November.

More than seven months into the conflict, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has mandated Tel Aviv to prevent its forces from committing such acts, and ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza.

In its latest ruling on Friday, the UN court ordered Israel to halt its offensive in the southern city of Rafah, which it started on May 6.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala