The spokesman for the al Qasam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Abu Obeida, He stated this Tuesday that “in the coming days” they will release “more hostages” that they took during the attack on October 7 against Israel.
“We have informed the mediators that we will release several hostages in the coming days, in line with our desire not to keep them in Gaza,” Abu Obeida said in a televised speech.
The spokesperson, who did not offer more details on the matter, rejected information from Israel that on Monday they had freed a female soldier held by the Islamist group since the 7th, and stressed that they deny that the Israeli soldiers “reached any prisoner in the hands of Al Qasam.”
(Read also: What are the tunnels that Hamas has in the Gaza Strip like and how do they work?)
“If this were correct, it could have happened to individual parties, including Gazans holding hostages,” Abu Obeida noted.
He added that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasts about the release of a kidnapped man a month later, “that means that “It will take 20 years to free the rest of its prisoners in Gaza.”
According to the Israeli Army, there are currently 240 kidnapped people in Gaza, who were taken by Hamas and other Palestinian militias during their attack on September 7. October against Israel, which also left 1,400 dead and more than 5,400 injured.
In retaliation, Israel began bombing that same day against the Gaza Strip, and expanded its ground operations last Friday, which has caused 8,500 deaths and more than 21,500 injuries, according to Gaza authorities.
(You can read: Israel announces that it is entering a ‘new phase’ of its war against Hamas)
Abu Obeida stressed that the Israeli Army has decided to “invade by land” the Strip, after adopting a “scorched earth” policy, which has caused great destruction through land, air and sea bombardments.
He stated that since the beginning of the Israeli ground offensive, they have carried out a response and defense on all fronts and that they are still involved in “fierce and direct” clashes.
In that sense, Abu Obeida assured that the al Qasam Brigades have destroyed 22 Israeli military vehicles with 22 anti-tank projectiles, and highlighted that for the first time they have introduced “zero distance” bombs against tanks in this battle.
🔴 THEY ARE ALREADY IN ISRAEL: First photo of Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Shoshana Raanan, mother and daughter, released today after being kidnapped by the terrorist organization #Hamas last October 7th.
PM Netanyahu: “Two of our kidnapped people are already home. We are still in… pic.twitter.com/BR1VwQ5BTa
— Israel in Spanish (@IsraelinSpanish) October 20, 2023
This Tuesday it was also learned that the American-Israeli Natalie Raanan, one of the more than 200 people taken hostage by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its attack on Israel on October 7, returned to the United States.
“I am relieved to see Natalie back home,” Yinam Cohen said in a statement. “Her family has been anxiously awaiting her return and today I share her happiness,” the diplomat added.
(Continue reading: ‘The most terrible night’: painful messages from the family of a German woman murdered by Hamas)
Natalie Shoshana Raanan, who just turned 18, was kidnapped that day along with her mother, Judith Tai Raanan, by Hamas commandos. in the Nahal Oz kibbutz (an agricultural commune), where they were visiting relatives. They were finally released on October 20.
It was the first hostage release confirmed by both sides. Both women lived in Evanston, a suburb of the city of Chicago, on the American east coast.
On the contrary, the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed this Monday the death of Shani Louk, a 23-year-old German-Israeli captured by militants from the Palestinian Hamas movement at a music festival during the attack.
“We are devastated by the confirmation of the death” of Shani Louk, a German with Israeli nationality, the Israeli Foreign Ministry reported on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter. Shani suffered “unfathomable horrors,” Israeli authorities said.
EFE
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