Hamas releases ‘farewell’ photo of 47 Israeli hostages, blames Netanyahu for prolonging Gaza war

As the ongoing Israel-Hamas war continues to escalate, the Palestinian militant group on Saturday released a photo showing 47 Israeli captives that it claimed was taken during Israel’s latest military offensive in Gaza City. The image was accompanied by an Arabic caption that said it was a farewell photograph of the captives.

“Because of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s intransigence and [Chief of General Staff Eyal] Zamir’s submission, this is a farewell photo at the beginning of the operation in Gaza,” the caption of the image shared by Hamas read.

According to TRT World, the Palestinian group shared the photograph on its official website, emphasising that the fate of the captives lies with the political decisions of Israel’s leadership and especially the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In the past, Hamas has often declared its readiness to conclude a comprehensive peace deal that would involve Israeli forces leaving the Gaza Strip and ending the war, which has been inching closer to three years. However, Netanyahu has often rejected the idea of a ceasefire, emphasising that the goal of the war is the complete elimination of Hamas.

Netanyahu faces pressure

The Palestinian group released the photograph at a time when many in Israel and elsewhere have been urging Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza. Some even went on to accuse the Israeli premier of dragging out the war for the sake of his own political survival, ignoring the survival of the hostages.

As the war is still ongoing, Israel has been conducting strikes in other West Asian countries. Most recently, on September 9, the Jewish nation attacked a residential compound in Doha, Qatar. The Israeli attack killed five Hamas leaders as they were discussing a US proposal to end the war in Gaza.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, as of now, Israel has killed over 65,000 Palestinians since the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas in southern Israel. Several human rights groups have often accused Israel of committing  ‘genocide’ in Gaza.

In November last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.