Hamas: Israeli hostages at risk amid Gaza offensive

Shafaq News – Gaza

Hamas on Thursday issued warnings following Israel’s expanded ground offensive in Gaza City, cautioning that the lives of Israeli hostages held in the territory were increasingly at risk.

In a statement, the group said that captives were dispersed across several neighborhoods and argued that “broadening the assault could result in no hostages being recovered alive.”

“Any expansion of the campaign would lead to more Israeli casualties and captives,” Hamas continued, asserting that its fighters had prepared for resistance by planting improvised explosive devices in Israeli vehicles and by designating military bulldozers as specific targets.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naeem accused Israel of using negotiations as cover for its operations and maintained that the movement would continue to confront the offensive. He added that talks could not move forward while Israeli military actions intensified, and voiced support for Qatar’s position that negotiations were not viable under current conditions.

The group characterized Israel’s operation as a “war of attrition” and said its members had trained to sustain resistance if the offensive deepened.