Hamas Official Bassem Naim Issues Grave Hostage Warning Amidst Gaza City Offensive

Hamas senior official Bassem Naim has issued a stark warning to Israel, asserting that the IDF’s ongoing operation to take over Gaza City directly jeopardizes the lives of hostages still held captive by the terror group. Naim, who recently survived an attempted Israeli strike targeting top leaders in Doha on September 9, conveyed his threats in an interview with the Qatari outlet Al-Araby.

In his first public appearance since the September 9 strike, Naim, a Hamas politburo member, stated, “The operation in Gaza City will be met with fierce resistance… Those who harm us during the operation in Gaza City will also harm the hostages, living and dead.” He further accused Israel of feigning interest in a hostage deal to cover up its military actions.

These remarks echo a statement from Hamas’s military wing, which threatened that the continuation and expansion of the “criminal operation” would mean Israel “will not retrieve any hostage, living or dead.” The statement ominously added that the fate of all hostages could be similar to that of Ron Arad, the Israeli airman who disappeared in 1986.

The current IDF ground operation in Gaza City has drawn significant concern from the relatives of the 48 hostages believed to be held by terror groups, with approximately 20 thought to still be alive. Families have staged nightly protests outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence, accusing him of abandoning their loved ones.

The September 9 Doha strike, which Naim was a target of, was initially lauded by Prime Minister Netanyahu as a success that could lead to an immediate end to the war. However, Hamas dismissed the strike as a failure, and Israeli officials increasingly believe no senior members of the group were eliminated.

阅读中文版 (Read Chinese Version)

Disclaimer: This content is aggregated from public sources online. Please verify information independently. If you believe your rights have been infringed, contact us for removal.