In latest propaganda move, Hamas says its guards killed Israeli hostage; IDF says it can’t confirm claims
There is no intelligence supporting Hamas’ claim that its guards murdered an Israeli hostage and wounded two others, the Israel Defense Forces stated on Monday evening.
The spokesman for the terror group, Hudhaifa Kahlout, who is also known as Abu Obayda, claimed that guards assigned to the hostages shot and killed a male Israeli and seriously wounded two female Israelis, adding that “attempts are being made to save” their lives.
The statement was issued on Telegram and didn’t include any other details, such as the location and date of the purported incident or the names of the hostages.
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“The enemy government [Israel] bears full responsibility for these massacres and the resulting reactions that affect the lives of Zionist prisoners,” Abu Obayda said.
“The terrorist organization Hamas has distributed a statement on Telegram that includes a written message claiming that in two separate incidents, a hostage was killed, and two hostages were wounded by Hamas operatives,” the IDF commented in the evening.
“At this point, we do not have any intelligence support that allows us to refute or confirm the claims of Hamas. We continue to check and find out the reliability of the message and will update as soon as possible with any information we have,” the army said.
Hamas’ claim comes on the heels of its refusal to participate in the high-level summit planned for Thursday and intended to significantly advance the talks about a hostage and truce deal.
Speaking to Ynet News, family members of hostages described their feelings hearing the Hamas claims that a hostage was murdered.
“From that moment on, the anxieties don’t stop,” said Eli Elbag, father of kidnapped IDF soldier Liri Elbag.
“I expect [Shas party chairman Aryeh] Deri and all the MKs to slam the table and get a deal done,” he said.
“Yesterday we were praying in Shoham, while praying, my daughter showed me the text on Telegram. This is another wound and another knife in the heart. It turns our stomachs non-stop.”
Elbag added that his wife asked IDF officers about the claims “and did not receive an unequivocal answer. Everything is too fresh.”
Zvika Mor, whose son Eitan was kidnapped from the Nova party, noted that the type of deal that was currently being discussed would not immediately free his son, as Hamas generally sees all young men as soldiers and demands the highest “prices” for their release.
“I find it very difficult to agree to such a deal as the father of a hostage. This is not the story of the Shalit deal — Israel is fighting for its life,” he said.
Regarding the claim that a hostage was murdered by his guards, Mor said he thought it was part of a propaganda effort to improve Hamas’ position in the negotiations.
“There are manipulations that the parties exert on each other. It's meant to pressure us, I guess,” said Mor.
This article was originally published by All Israel News.
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