Hamas: Hostages in Our Hands, Israel's Ground Operation Does Not Frighten Us
While the ongoing armed clashes with Hamas and partly with Hezbollah point to a ground operation, Israelis whose relatives are hostages in the hands of Hamas continue to wait. Meanwhile, an Israeli government official said that there would be no hostage negotiations with Hamas for the time being, drawing the anger of the families.
Hamas and Israel Broadcast on Different Frequencies
As Israel's ground operation is approaching, it is observed that the intensity of the clashes in the north of Gaza has increased. The Israeli army continued to bomb several targets belonging to Hamas. At the same time, it sought to respond to rocket attacks by Hezbollah on the Lebanese border.
While the ongoing armed clashes with Hamas and partly with Hezbollah point to a ground operation, Israelis whose relatives are in the hands of Hamas continue to wait. Meanwhile, an Israeli government official said that there would be no hostage negotiations with Hamas for the time being, drawing the anger of the families.
On the other hand, Hamas military spokesman Abu Ubaidah said that there are currently between 200 and 250 prisoners in Gaza, adding that he could not give an exact number due to "security and practical difficulties", but confirmed that Hamas currently holds about 200 of the hostages captured after the organisation's major attack on 7 October. Abu Ubaidah said in a televised statement that about 50 others were in the hands of other resistance groups in Gaza and were being held elsewhere.
Hamas, meanwhile, refers to the foreign hostages as 'our guests'. The organisation's spokesman, Abu Ubaidah, promised to protect the hostages and to release them if conditions on the 'ground' develop in line with Hamas' expectations.
Abu Ubaidah also said confidently that the threat of an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, which is expected to begin this evening (night of 17 October), does not frighten them and that they are ready for it. He also shared the name of an Israeli hostage who was allegedly killed in an Israeli bombardment in the last few hours.
In a separate interview, Khaled Meshaal, a leading figure in Hamas and the group's former political leader, said that there are 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. He emphasised that there are hostages, including senior officials of the Israeli army's Gaza division, and claimed that they have enough Israeli hostages to release all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails in exchange.
He also said that Gazans would not leave the Strip and that their displacement would harm Egypt's national security and pose a danger to Jordan, implying that a mass exodus of Palestinians to a neighbouring country could set a precedent for the West Bank, affecting the 1 million Palestinians there, leaving Israel with almost no Palestinians and implying that they would not be part of this game. Khaled Mashaal praised Hezbollah for taking steps against Israel, and stated that Hamas needs more support.
US Expects Exit Strategy from Israel after Gaza
In the meantime, it is understood that the administration of US President Joe Biden expects Israel to determine and share with Washington its strategy on what Tel Aviv will do after winning the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It is rumoured that the US has increased its pressure on the Netanyahu government in this direction. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his close circle are reported to have told their American counterparts that Israel has not yet determined such a strategy and is more focused on the goal of ending Hamas rule in Gaza.
Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said on CNN: "We are not thinking about what happens the day after the war... We need to win this war and that's the only thing we are focussed on!" and shared with the world an uncertain scenario for the future.
Conclusion
I believe that the ground operation does not only have the 'narrow objective' of putting an end to the Hamas government. I believe that Israel aims to depopulate the Gaza Strip as much as possible through fear-mongering and psychological operations, to prevent the Palestinians from returning to the evacuated areas by imposing a temporary settlement ban, and ultimately to turn these areas into Israeli settlements over time. In my opinion, with such a goal in mind, the Netanyahu regime will no longer be willing to 'negotiate hostages' with Hamas and allow Hamas to use its hostages as a weapon against Tel Aviv.
Reference
Gianluca PACCHIANI, Hamas: We hold 200 hostages, other factions have about 50; ground op 'doesn't scare us', 16 October 2023, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-says-it-holds-200-hostages-other-factions-have-about-50-ground-op-doesnt-scare-us/
