Hamas released a propaganda image of 48 Israeli captives as the IDF closed in on Gaza City, while families of hostages accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of prolonging the war for political gain.
Hamas on Saturday released what it called a “parting image” of 48 remaining Israeli hostages, warning they would never be seen again as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) prepared to encircle Gaza City. The image, a compilation of the captives’ faces with each labeled “Ron Arad” — a reference to a missing Israeli pilot captured in 1986 — was denounced as propaganda.
The group blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for rejecting a last-minute cease-fire and accused IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir of enabling the ground assault. “Because of Netanyahu’s refusal, and Zamir’s capitulation, a parting image as the military operation in Gaza City begins,” the text above the image read.
The IDF said it struck 100 targets overnight, destroying up to 20 towers in recent weeks and killing Hamas commanders. Around 480,000 Palestinians have fled Gaza City, once home to about a million residents. Families of hostages held rallies in Israel, accusing Netanyahu of sacrificing lives “to cling to power.”