‘Many’ Israeli hostages already likely killed by Israel’s retaliatory strikes, Hamas claims

Many of the Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas have likely been killed in recent Israel retaliatory strikes on Gaza, a spokesman for the terror group says — claiming the terrorists have lost track of those abducted. “The fate of many of the enemy’s hostages and detainees has become unknown in recent weeks, and the rest are all in the tunnel of the unknown due to the Zionist aggression,” Abu Obeida, a Palestinian militant who serves as the group’s mouthpiece, said in a televised statement.

“Most likely, many of them were killed recently, the rest are in great danger every hour, and the enemy’s leadership and army bear full responsibility,” he continued, according to Times of Israel. Obeida also claimed that Hamas was told by “several parties in the resistance fronts that they will expand their strikes on the Israeli enemy in the coming days.” The statement came as Israel and Hamas marked the 100th day of their savage conflict , which has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, including hundreds of terrorists, razed wide swaths of the embattled Gaza Strip and pushed most of the enclave’s 2.3 million residents from their homes.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre in Israel — in which terrorists butchered nearly 1,200 people, including many civilians, and kidnapped about 240 others — sparked a brutal war between its fighters and Israel. Hamas is believed to still have about 132 victims in captivity. Israel has vowed to get them back, especially as the country’s leaders face mounting protests from their families — including a 24 hour rally in Tel Aviv that began Saturday evening and drew tens of thousands of supporters.

Israeli forces have only managed to rescue one hostage so far. But more than 100 were released during a weeklong cease fire in November in exchange for 240 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Hamas says it won’t release more until the Israel Defense Force ends its offensive. With Post wires.