Hamas Threatens Hostages' Lives As Gaza War Escalates, Families Protest Netanyahu

Hamas has delivered its most severe warning yet on the fate of Israeli hostages, saying Israel's expanding ground offensive in Gaza leaves no chance of their safe return.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, declared Thursday that captives are scattered across Gaza and compared their fate to Ron Arad, the Israeli air force officer who vanished in Lebanon in 1986. The statement, issued in Hebrew, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of signing the hostages' death warrants by pressing ahead with the assault.

Inside Israel, anger against Netanyahu is intensifying. Families of the 48 remaining hostages, only around 20 believed alive, lead weekly protests in Tel Aviv, demanding an immediate ceasefire and accusing the government of betrayal. One mother cried outside Netanyahu's residence, shouting that he had lied about securing an agreement to bring their loved ones home.

The Israeli military insisted the captives remain central to its planning.“We are doing everything to protect them,” said spokesman Daniel Hagari, though relatives argue military action only increases the danger to their survival.

International scrutiny is mounting as well. The European Union has discussed sanctions, while a United Nations commission accused Israel of“genocide,” charges that Tel Aviv rejects. Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll in Gaza grows heavier.

Heavy bombardments have forced mass displacement, with the UN declaring parts of Gaza in famine. The Palestinian Health Ministry said four more, including a child, died of malnutrition Thursday, raising the hunger toll to 435. Overall, officials report more than 65,000 killed and 160,000 injured in Gaza since the war began in October 2023.

The warnings from Hamas, mounting protests in Israel, and intensifying international pressure underscore how the conflict has entered a dangerous new phase. The future of both hostages and civilians remains deeply uncertain.

Without urgent mediation or a breakthrough ceasefire, the war risks spiraling further, prolonging the suffering of families on both sides of the conflict.

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