The spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, announced on Monday that the group has issued new instructions to guards on how to handle hostages if Israeli forces approach their locations in Gaza.
On Sunday the terror group denied they had murdered six Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered by IDF troops in a tunnel in Gaza. Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat and Almog Sarusi were found having been shot in the back of the head on Thursday.
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From top left: Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat and Almog Sarusi
IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said he believed that this was the second instance where Hamas terrorists have killed hostages and fled.
Abu Ubaida said the new instructions, which he didn't detail, were given to guards of hostages after a rescue operation by Israel in June. In a special ops mission, troops extracted Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov from apartments in the densely populated Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
"Netanyahu's insistence to free prisoners through military pressure, instead of sealing a deal means they will be returned to their families in shrouds. Their families must choose whether they want them dead or alive," he said.