Hamas threatened to kill all of the remaining hostages they have in their captivity Sunday if their demands are not met. Much of the demands, as New York Post reports, are for more aid and more released Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida appeared in a televised broadcast to make a statement: “Neither the fascist enemy and its arrogant leadership … nor its supporters … can take their prisoners alive without an exchange and negotiation and meeting the demands of the resistance.”
“We have no choice but to fight this barbaric occupier in every neighbourhood, street and alley," he said.
"The enemy's holocaust aims to break the strength of our resistance... but we are fighting on our land in a holy battle."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has reported that 20 hostages out of the remaining 137 are dead. Their bodies are still being held by the terrorist group and are reportedly being used as leverage.
At one point, Hamas had blamed Israel for the dead hostages, claiming that their airstrikes killed them, however this has been vehemently refuted by Israeli officials.
Qatar, which has been acting as a mediator, said Sunday that negotiations for a new truce and more hostage exchanges are in the works but that Israeli airstrikes are "narrowing the window" for a successful outcome.
