Posted on 08/29/25
| News Source: JPost
Hamas’s military wing spokesperson, Abu Obeida, declared on Friday that Israeli hostages are being held alongside its fighters in combat zones under the same perilous conditions, as Israel intensifies preparations for a full-scale invasion of Gaza City.
“We will preserve the lives of the captives to the extent that we can,” the terror group said. “They will remain with our fighters in the places of confrontation, exposed to the same risks.”
Hamas added that for every hostage killed as a result of Israeli military action, it would publish the individual’s name, photograph, and proof of death.
The statement comes as the IDF prepares for a Gaza City offensive, having already initiated the initial phases of the operation. The city has been the focal point of heavy fighting earlier in the war and remains a strategic stronghold for Hamas.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved operational plans for the takeover of Gaza City and directed the resumption of hostage negotiations—on Israel’s terms. The decision followed weeks of pressure from hostage families and security officials concerned for the hostages' fate.
In parallel, the IDF has mobilized approximately 60,000 reservists in anticipation of what is expected to be one of the largest ground campaigns since the war began in October 2023.
Gaza City has now been designated a combat zone by the IDF, underscoring the intensity of the campaign. While humanitarian pauses are in effect in parts of central and southern Gaza, they do not apply to the north, and particularly not to Gaza City.
On Friday, the IDF and Shin Bet recovered the body of hostage Ilan Weiss, who was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri during the October 7 massacre.
They also retrieved what appears to be the remains of a second hostage, whose identity is currently being verified through forensic analysis.