Hamas appears to admit killing hostages, hints guards have instructions to kill if IDF approaches

Despite initially denying any role in the deaths of the six Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered on Saturday, the Hamas terrorist organization appeared to admit responsibility in a statement.

On Monday evening, Hamas spokesman, Abu Obaida blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF for Hamas' execution of the hostages, saying “they deliberately disrupted any deal.” 

“Only Netanyahu and the occupation army bear full responsibility for the killing of the prisoners after they deliberately disrupted any deal to exchange prisoners for their personal and narrow interests, in addition to their deliberate killing of dozens of them through direct aerial bombardment,” Obaida said in the statement. 

He also claimed that “new instructions were issued” to the guards watching over the hostages, implying that the guards were ordered to kill the hostages if IDF troops came near. 

“We say to everyone clearly that after the Nuseirat incident, new instructions were issued to the Mujahideen assigned to guard the prisoners regarding dealing with them if the occupation army approached their place of detention.” The mention of Nuseirat was a reference to Operation Arnon in June, during which Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrei Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv were rescued from Hamas captivity.

“Netanyahu's insistence on liberating the prisoners through military pressure instead of concluding a deal will mean that they will return to their families inside coffins and their families will have to choose whether they are dead or alive.” 

At the same time Obaida’s statement was released, Hamas posted an image to its Telegram channel, showing an Israeli hostage seated on the ground with a Hamas guard holding a pistol. 

The text in Hebrew reads, “Military pressure = Death and defeat” and “Exchange deal = Freedom and life.”

In a press conference on Monday night, Netanyahu stated that the hostages had been shot in the back of the head at close range. He promised that Hamas would pay a heavy price. 

Shortly after the press conference, the terror group released a video that contained a message similar to Obaida’s statement and released a video of slain hostage Eden Yerushalmi, recorded at an undetermined time before her death. 

The Yerushalmi family agreed to the release of a shortened version of the video, in which Eden tells her family that she loves and misses them. The family released a statement through the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, saying: “Our Eden, we love you too and we miss you like crazy. You are forever in our hearts.” 

Hebrew news sites chose not to play the full video of Yerushalmi, believing that Hamas uses it as a tool of psychological warfare.

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri stated that Netanyahu's accusations against Hamas for the deaths of the hostages were an attempt to deflect responsibility. He echoed Abu Obaida’s message that the decision rests with the Israelis.

"Netanyahu is responsible for the death of the six prisoners and intends to kill the remaining ones. Israelis must choose between Netanyahu and the deal," Abu Zuhri asserted.

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Joel C. Rosenberg