Hamas has instructed its soldiers holding hostages to execute them if the Israeli army closes in on them.
Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the group, said the move follows what he called the “Nusseirat incident” in June, in which Israeli special forces rescued four hostages from two apartments in Gaza.
He said “new instructions were issued” on how to “deal with” hostages in the event of the Israeli army approaching their location.
“Netanyahu’s insistence on freeing the captives through military pressure instead of making a deal will mean their return to their families in coffins. Their families must choose: either dead or alive,” he added.
The terror group released the statement along with a propaganda video of hostage Eden Yerushalmi, 24, who was kidnapped on Oct 7 and was among the six hostages executed by Hamas in a Gaza tunnel last weekend.
All six had been shot and killed by terrorists in Gaza before their bodies were found by the Israeli army.