Palestinian Hamas group has accused Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “sacrificing” its hostages after fresh strikes jolted Gaza this morning, raising questions over future ceasefires to bring back the Israeli citizens still held captive.
Israel resumed massive strikes on Gaza shattering a period of calm negotiated during a January truce, after which Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq said it was a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages.
“Netanyahu’s decision to resume war is a decision to sacrifice the occupation’s prisoners and impose a death sentence on them,” said al-Rishq, accusing the Prime Minister of using the conflict as a political “lifeboat” to distract from internal crises.
Gaza’s civil defence agency said the strikes during the fasting month of Ramzan left at least 220 dead, including children, with the attacks casting aspersion on ceasefire talks between the two sides to end the year-long conflict.
At least 59 hostages now remain in Hamas captivity after several were freed in exchange for political prisoners in the past two months.
