GAZA – The Palestinian group Hamas which launched an unprecedented surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, has claimed that it was currently holding more than 100 Israeli nationals as hostages, including high-ranking army officers.
In an interview with Arabic news outlet al-Ghad TV late Sunday night, Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy chief of the group’s political bureau, said the number of Israeli hostages “hasn’t been counted yet but they are over a hundred”, CNN reported
When queried if Israeli army officers were among the hostages, Marzouk replied: “There are high-ranking officers.”
Israel authorities have said that dozens of Israelis are being held hostage in Gaza but have not confirmed exact numbers.
Also on Sunday night, Islamic Jihad, a militant group that operates in Palestinian territories, announced that it has taken 30 Israelis as hostages.
In a televised address, Ziad al-Nakhalah, the group’s secretary-general, said: “The Islamic Jihad Movement currently has more than 30 prisoners, and they will not return to their homes until our prisoners are liberated.”
The Islamic Jihad and Hamas are separate organisations, but they both operate in the Gaza Strip and are aligned in their opposition to Israel.
The Islamic Jihad has called for Israel to release some of its fighters in exchange for the hostages’ release.
The total number of hostages taken during Hamas’ assault this weekend is not yet clear, but Israeli officials have said there are dozens of captives.
Mexico’s Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena said on Sunday that two Mexican nationals, a woman and a man, have “presumably” been taken hostage by Hamas.
Meanwhile, at least three Brazilian nationals are also missing, according to Brazilian authorities.
The Hamas launched the surprise attack on Israeli towns adjacent to the Gaza Strip, prompting Israel to launch retaliatory strikes on Gaza.
During the attack, Hamas militants broke through the security fence that separate the Gaza Strip from Israel and stormed nearby communities, killing and capturing Israelis.
On Sunday, Israel declared a war on Gaza, attacking the besieged coastal enclave with airstrikes that were still continuing as of Monday morning.
Since the conflict erupted, more than 700 people have been killed in the Jewish state, while over 400 Palestinians were also dead, according to authorities,.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people are still reported missing.
Among the victims are at least 260 people whose bodies were found at the site of a music festival near the Israel-Gaza border. -IANS
