Hamas claims it will protect its 199 hostages

A poster of Mia Shem is displayed, during a press conference, following the release of new footage of the hostages taken by Hamas during their attack, October 17, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Ms Shem appears in the video, lying on a bed, while her arm is being bandaged. As Israel prepares to invade the Gaza Strip in its campaign to vanquish Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that launched a deadly attack in southern Israel on October 7th, worries are growing of a wider war with multiple fronts, including at the country's northern border with Lebanon. Countries have scrambled to evacuate their citizens from Israel, and Israel has begun relocating residents some communities on its northern border. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of residents of northern Gaza have fled to the southern part of the territory, following Israel's vow to launch a ground invasion. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
A poster of Mia Shem is displayed, during a press conference, following the release of new footage of the hostages taken by Hamas during their attack, October 17, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Ms Shem appears in the video, lying on a bed, while her arm is being bandaged. As Israel prepares to invade the Gaza Strip in its campaign to vanquish Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that launched a deadly attack in southern Israel on October 7th, worries are growing of a wider war with multiple fronts, including at the country's northern border with Lebanon. Countries have scrambled to evacuate their citizens from Israel, and Israel has begun relocating residents some communities on its northern border. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of residents of northern Gaza have fled to the southern part of the territory, following Israel's vow to launch a ground invasion. Photo credit (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for the armed wing of the Hamas terrorist group said that detainees being held by the group are “guests” and that they “seek to protect them,” according to a video message cited by Reuters.

Hamas triggered a war in the Middle East earlier this month with a surprise, large-scale attack on Israel. More than 1,300 people were killed during the rampage, and the Israeli military estimates that the Palestinian terrorist organization is holding 199 hostages in Gaza, per the report. Hamas has claimed to have 200 to 250 hostages.

Since Israel declared war in retaliation, fighting has continued. As Israel’s main ally, the U.S. has been sending support.

“On Wednesday, I’ll travel to Israel to stand in solidarity in the face of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack,” President Joe Biden said. “I’ll then travel to Jordan to address dire humanitarian needs, meet with leaders, and make clear that Hamas does not stand for Palestinians’ right to self-determination.”

Biden said over the weekend that the U.S. is “not walking away,” from the Americans unaccounted for in the war.

“The captives are believed to include nationals of countries including Thailand and Germany. Other countries have reported their citizens as missing,” said Reuters of the hostage situation in Gaza. “Israelis with dual nationality in countries including the U.S. are also believed to have been kidnapped.”

Moussa Abu Marzouk, another Hamas official, said Hamas was keeping foreign prisoners “due to the continued Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip,” and Obeida said that the group plans to release the detainees “when circumstances on the ground allow.”

Reuters said he didn’t elaborate on what circumstances those might be. Additionally, the outlet reported that Hamas official Khaled Meshaal said the group “has what it needs to empty the prisons of all prisoners,” it has been working to get released, citing an AlAraby TV interview.

“Israel, which has bombarded Gaza with strikes that have killed hundreds of Palestinians, has said it would act to free the hostages while eliminating Hamas,” said Reuters.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, said in a statement that Israel will not back down until Hamas is eliminated. He also said the group is part of “the evil axis of Iran, Hezbollah and their followers,” and that they are determined to return the Middle East to the Middle Ages.

Featured Image Photo Credit: (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)