New Gaza offensive is ‘death sentence’ for hostages, say relatives

Relatives of Israeli hostages have described the expansion of the war in the Gaza Strip, decided by the government’s Security Cabinet, as a “death sentence” for the hostages still being held.

The decision by the political leadership is an official declaration of abandoning the hostages and will lead them — and Israeli soldiers — into a “colossal catastrophe,” the Hostage Relatives Forum said on Friday.

According to Israeli assessments, there are still 50 hostages in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed to be alive.

The Gaza war was triggered by the massacre carried out by the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas and other extremists from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 people dead and around 250 abducted to the Gaza Strip.

More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the ensuing conflict, according to figures from the Hamas-run health authorities in the Gaza Strip.

The figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but are seen as credible by the United Nations and other organizations.