Hostage Crisis in Gaza: New Instructions Amid Israeli Raids

Hamas' armed wing has announced new handling instructions for hostages in Gaza, following recent violent incidents involving Israeli forces. The Israeli military recently found six dead hostages in Rafah, prompting a war of words between Hamas and Israeli leaders. Both parties blame each other for the ongoing crisis.

Hamas' armed wing revealed on Monday that since June, the group has been following new directives on managing hostages should Israeli forces come close to their positions in Gaza. This disclosure comes shortly after the Israeli military recovered the bodies of six hostages from a tunnel in Rafah, southern Gaza, who were allegedly shot by their captors as Israeli forces approached.

Abu Ubaida, a spokesperson for Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades, didn't specify what these new instructions entailed but blamed Israel for the deaths. According to Ubaida, the instructions were issued following a June rescue mission where Israeli forces freed four hostages but resulted in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians, including women and children.

In a statement, Ubaida criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for using military force instead of negotiating for the hostages' release, warning that such actions would only result in more deaths. Hamas later released a pre-recorded video of one of the six dead hostages, urging Netanyahu to make a deal to free them. Netanyahu responded by promising severe repercussions for Hamas, while Hamas officials accused him of deflecting responsibility for the hostages' deaths and warned that his threats would not deter them.

(With inputs from agencies.)