Hamas urges Israel to halt strikes as it searches for two Israeli hostages
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The aftermath of an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, on Sept 28.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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Gaza City, Palestinian Territories – Hamas’ armed wing urged the Israeli military to temporarily halt air strikes and withdraw from part of Gaza City on Sept 28 as it tried to locate two Israeli hostages it said it had lost contact with.
“The lives of the two prisoners are in real danger, and (Israeli) forces must immediately withdraw to the south of Street 8 and halt aerial operations for 24 hours starting from 18:00 today to allow attempts to rescue the prisoners,” wrote the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades in a statement.
In an earlier announcement, the armed group said the loss of contact was due to Israeli military operations in two southern Gaza City neighbourhoods over the previous 48 hours, where Israeli forces have stepped up air and ground assaults.
In the past, the Islamist movement announced that it had lost contact with an Israeli-American hostage, who was released a few days after that announcement.
Since launching its offensive on Gaza City, the Israeli military has repeatedly ordered Palestinians to move south.
On Sept 28, Gaza’s civil defence agency, a rescue force operating under Hamas authority, said 38 people had been killed by Israeli fire, including 14 in Gaza City.
Speaking at the United Nations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “finish the job” against Hamas, despite sharp international condemnation following the intensification of the offensive.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’ Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Of the 251 people abducted during the attack, 47 remain held in Gaza, including 25 whom the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 66,005 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry, which the UN deems reliable. AFP
