Israeli plan to expand Gaza war means ‘sacrificing’ hostages: Hamas

GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas warned Tuesday that an Israeli plan to expand its onslaught on Gaza would mean “sacrificing” its hostages.

On Sunday, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a plan to expand its ongoing war on Gaza and occupy territory inside the Palestinian enclave.

“The approval of the (Israeli) occupation cabinet of plans to expand its ground offensive in Gaza represents an explicit decision to sacrifice the Israeli hostages in the enclave,” Hamas said in a statement.

It called the Israeli decision “a reproduction of the cycle of failure” over the past 20 months without “achieving its declared goals.”

Hamas said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments about expanding the war on Gaza “reflect his insistence on committing more crimes against civilians under a cover provided by the US administration.”

It appealed to the Arab and Islamic nations, the UN, and the international community “to take immediate action to curb the fascist occupation government, and bring its leaders to international justice.”

Israeli estimates suggest that 59 captives remain in Gaza, with 24 believed alive. In contrast, more than 9,500 Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israel under harsh conditions, including reports of torture, starvation, and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights organizations.

More than 52,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.