By Anadolu staff
ISTANBUL (AA) – Hamas said Sunday that the fate of many Israeli hostages held by the group is unknown amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
“Many of the hostages may have likely been killed, while the rest are in imminent danger every hour,” Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said in a recorded speech marking 100 days since Israel launched its onslaught on the Gaza Strip.
The spokesman stressed that Israel is fully responsible for the safety of the Israeli hostages.
Hamas is believed to be holding nearly 136 Israelis following its cross-border attack on Oct. 7.
Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the Hamas attack, killing at least 23,968 Palestinians and injuring 60,582 others, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.
According to the UN, 85% of the population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure is damaged or destroyed.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio