Shillong, October 9: The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which initiated a surprising attack on southern Israel on October 7, has asserted that it currently has more than 100 Israeli nationals as hostages, among them 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, stated that the exact count of Israeli hostages “hasn’t been determined yet, but they exceed a hundred,” as reported by CNN.
When asked about the presence of Israeli army officers among the hostages, Marzouk confirmed, “There are high-ranking officers.”
While Israeli authorities have acknowledged that several Israelis are being held captive in Gaza, they have not provided precise figures.
Additionally, on Sunday night, the Islamic Jihad, a militant group operating in Palestinian territories, announced that it had taken 30 Israelis as hostages.
In a televised address, Ziad al-Nakhalah, the group’s secretary-general, declared, “The Islamic Jihad Movement currently holds more than 30 prisoners, and they will not be released until our prisoners are freed.”
It’s important to note that while Hamas and the Islamic Jihad are separate organizations, they both operate in the Gaza Strip and share a common stance opposing Israel.
The Islamic Jihad has called for Israel to release some of its fighters in exchange for the release of the hostages.
The total number of hostages taken during Hamas’ weekend assault remains unclear, but Israeli officials have confirmed dozens of captives.
Furthermore, Mexico’s Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena stated on Sunday that two Mexican nationals, a man and a woman, have “presumably” been taken hostage by Hamas. In addition, Brazilian authorities reported that at least three Brazilian nationals are missing.
The Hamas attack, launched unexpectedly on Israeli towns adjacent to the Gaza Strip, prompted Israel to respond with retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza.
During the attack, Hamas militants breached the security fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel and entered nearby communities, resulting in the capture and killing of Israelis.
As of Monday morning, Israel declared war on Gaza and continued its airstrikes on the besieged coastal enclave.
Since the conflict began, more than 700 people have lost their lives in Israel, with over 400 Palestinian casualties, according to authorities. Furthermore, hundreds of people remain unaccounted for.
Among the victims, at least 260 bodies were discovered at the site of a music festival near the Israel-Gaza border.
