Hamas, however, issued a warning against Israel’s plans for a hostage rescue operation akin to the one that occurred at the Nuseirat camp in Gaza this June. The group reportedly promised to “neutralize” hostages if such an action is taken.
In an internal message dated November 22, Hamas instructed its operatives to pay no heed to any possible consequences of carrying out these instructions, as Israel would be responsible for the fate of the hostages. The message was issued by the intelligence department of its armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, and distributed to factions within the group. It did not give any timing for when any Israeli operation might take place, according to a senior Hamas source who briefed Reuters. Israel has yet to respond to these claims.
Israeli media reported on Wednesday that Defence Minister Israel Katz noted an increase in pressure on Hamas, suggesting that there is a genuine opportunity to advance a hostage deal. An Israel operation to rescue hostages in Nuseirat on June 9 freed four hostages held by Hamas since October 2023. The operation was described by Palestinian officials as one of the bloodiest assaults of the ongoing conflict, which left more than 200 people dead.
In its recent statement, Hamas instructed its operatives to “tighten” the hostages’ living conditions, sticking to protocols established after the Nuseirat operation. Operating under a section titled “recommendations,” Hamas has also ordered operatives to “activate neutralization orders,” an immediate response to every action taken by the enemy.
The conflict escalated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities, which Israel said killed around 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages. The reported number of Palestinian deaths in Gaza since that time is more than 44,500, along with destruction all over the region, according to Palestinian figures.
