Hamas' armed wing warned Friday that Israel's plan to occupy Gaza City will come at a steep cost, saying its army will pay "in soldiers' blood" and that opportunities to capture more troops will increase.
Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement on Telegram that the planned reoccupation would be "disastrous" for Israel's leadership. "The enemy will pay in soldiers' blood, and the chances of seizing new captives will only rise," he said.
He stressed that Israeli captives will be kept in active battle zones alongside Hamas fighters, facing "the same risks and living conditions," and pledged that the group would publish proof of death for any captive killed in Israeli strikes.
Abu Ubaida accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers of condemning captives to death by continuing with the offensive. "They are determined to reduce the number of their living prisoners by half and ensure that most of the dead remain missing forever," he warned.
Hamas has repeatedly said it is prepared to release all Israeli captives in a single deal if the war ends, Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza, and Palestinian prisoners are freed. Israel has rejected those terms, with Netanyahu insisting on reoccupying the enclave.
The Brigades added that several captives were killed in Israeli bombardments of sites where they were being held, though no overall figures have been given. Israel estimates that about 50 captives remain in Gaza, including 20 alive, while more than 10,800 Palestinians languish in Israeli prisons amid reports of torture, starvation, and medical neglect.
Israel has killed over 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
