Hamas releases ‘farewell photo’ of 48 Israeli captives as IDF pounds Gaza City

The armed wing of Palestine’s militant group, Hamas, has released what it described as a “farewell picture” of 48 Israeli captives, even as Israeli forces intensified their assault on Gaza City, the largest urban center in the enclave.

The Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, published the image online on Saturday. It featured both living and deceased captives, each labeled “Ron Arad” — a reference to the Israeli air force captain who vanished in Lebanon in 1986 after his jet was downed.

Arad’s F-4 Phantom was damaged by a premature bomb detonation during a mission over southern Lebanon. Captured by the Amal Movement and later handed to Hezbollah, his ultimate fate remains uncertain, though he is widely believed to have died in captivity.

Accompanying Saturday’s image was a statement declaring: “Because of Netanyahu’s refusal, and Zamir’s capitulation, a farewell picture as the military operation in Gaza City begins.”

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The message was aimed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly dismissed proposals from Hamas for a ceasefire deal. It also referenced Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir, who has led the expanded ground and air campaign despite voicing concerns over the government’s plans for Gaza.

Israeli officials estimate around 20 captives remain alive, while U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested the number could be lower. Both he and Netanyahu have vowed to recover the captives—dead or alive—while pledging to “destroy” Hamas.

Hamas has warned that the escalating Israeli offensive is placing the captives in grave danger, with some reportedly killed in airstrikes. The group has also claimed that hostages are “scattered throughout the neighbourhoods” of Gaza City.

The statement came just hours before mass protests were expected across Israel, with hundreds of thousands preparing to rally in Tel Aviv and other cities to demand the government strike a comprehensive deal to secure the captives’ release and end the war.

Hamas has previously released videos of captives, including two men shown earlier this month. About a month earlier, the group aired footage of two emaciated prisoners, one of whom appeared to be digging his own grave. Those images drew outrage from the families of captives, Israeli officials, and allies including the United States.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that at least 65,208 Palestinians have been killed and 166,271 injured since  the war began in October 2023 after Hamas launched a deadly attack in Israel that resulted in the deaths of over a thousand persons.

(AL-JAZEERA)