A banner displays photos of hostages taken captive in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. In the background is an Israeli flag and the words “Together we will win," in Tel Aviv, Feb. 16, 2024. (Credit: Susana Vera/Reuters)
CAIRO — Al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Obeida said Friday that there have been many losses among Israeli hostages, “while other hostages live in extremely difficult conditions,” in an audio message cited by Reuters.
"We warned dozens of times about the dangers to which their hostages are being exposed. We didn't want the situation to reach this stage, but [Israel's] leadership ignored us," he said.
"For months, we tried to protect and care for the lives of these hostages, as it is our top humanitarian goal to liberate our own prisoners and to realize the legitimate rights of our people."
This week, mediators from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt gathered in Cairo to try to broker a cease-fire and hostage exchange deal. The schedule had Israeli and Hamas delegations visiting Cairo on alternating days, to build on progress made by each side towards a possible deal. Israeli officials were in Cairo first on Tuesday, but by Wednesday, when the delegation had returned to Israel and a Hamas delegation had gone to Cairo in their place, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had told his team not to return to Cairo the following day, as was planned, saying Hamas had "no new proposal," to offer.
Still, on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he believed a deal was "possible." There has been no public announcement of any breakthrough.
Abu Obeida said it was Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip that was responsible for the situation and that "time is running out fast."
Families of hostages have been protesting their government's approach to the hostage situation, frustrated with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to agree to a hostage deal that would see their loved ones return home.
Many Israeli families fear that their own country's bombardment of Gaza is putting the hostages' lives in danger while Netanyahu, on the other hand, says military success is necessary for pressuring Hamas into agreeing to a hostage deal. Hamas has reiterated for more than a month now that the group would not agree to a hostage exchange without the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the besieged and battered enclave.
Of the 250 hostages originally taken captive on Oct. 7, the Israeli army has successfully rescued three hostages through military operations in Gaza. One hundred hostages were released in a truce and exchange deal that lasted one week and also saw 240 Palestinians released from Israeli detention. And three hostages were killed by Israeli troops who shot them by accident as they were emerging from a building in Gaza, arms raised, waving a white flag of surrender.
In the same statement made today, Obeida said: "The wounded and sick enemy prisoners are going through very difficult conditions and are struggling to stay alive. This is not surprising because everything that our people are suffering from, be it hunger, thirst and lack of medical help, is also what the enemy prisoners are suffering from."
The Israeli war on Gaza has killed over 28,000 people and laid waste to the majority of the enclave. Gaza is under an Israeli blockade, which limits the delivery of food, fuel, water, and aid to the approximately 2.3 million people trapped there.
Israel's chief military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said on Tuesday that 31 of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were dead.
Israel has said 136 hostages are still being held in Gaza.
The Palestinian Prisoners Club, which documents and cares for all Palestinian detainees, issued a statement on Tuesday saying the number of Palestinians who have been arrested since Oct. 7 had reached 7,000.