The Israeli military has stated that they have taken custody of a ‘considerable number’ of ordinary civilians and members of the armed forces of Palestine’s armed group Hamas. Among those in custody are children, women, elderly, and disabled individuals.
Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, spokesperson for the Israeli military, mentioned, “Among those in custody, there are individuals who are alive. Some, unfortunately, have been killed.”
Earlier on Saturday, the Deputy Head of Hamas’ political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri al-Jazairi, stated, “We have killed many Israeli soldiers and taken them as prisoners. The fight is still ongoing.”
Israel’s military is demanding that Hamas release both their soldiers and civilian detainees in Israeli custody.
According to the non-governmental organization (NGO) Adameer, which works on detainee rights, around 5,200 Palestinians are currently detained in Israeli prisons. Among them, 33 are women and 170 are underage boys and girls.
Hamas, the Palestinian group, launched extensive rocket attacks in Israel early yesterday. When armed Hamas fighters entered the Israeli-controlled territory, clashes with Israeli forces ensued. In response, Israel initiated a counteroffensive in the Gaza Strip. Israel states that 250 Israelis have been killed in the Hamas attacks.
Hamas has named this campaign in Israel ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.’ The freedom of Palestinians from Israeli occupation is stated to be the goal of this campaign by the Palestinian self-determination group.
In a message delivered last night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his country has entered into a ‘long and complex’ war. He said, “This war has started due to Hamas’ deadly attacks.”
