Hamas says Gaza hostages ‘struggling to stay alive’

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: Hamas’s armed wing said on Friday that hostages in Gaza were ‘struggling to stay alive’ as conditions across the war-battered Palestinian territory deteriorate due to relentless Israeli bombardments.

“The wounded and sick enemy prisoners are going through very difficult conditions and are struggling to stay alive,” Abu Obeida, spokesman for Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a televised statement.

“This is not surprising because everything that our people are suffering from, be it hunger, thirst and lack of medical help, is also what the enemy prisoners are suffering from.”

This week, mediators from the United States, Qatar and Egypt gathered in Cairo to try to broker a deal to halt the fighting and secure the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday he believed a deal was still ‘possible’ but there has been no public announcement of any breakthrough.

Abu Obeida said it was Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip that was responsible for the situation.

“Time is running out fast,” he said.

During the Oct 7 attack by Hamas militants on Israel, some 250 hostages were taken to the Gaza Strip, of which roughly 130 are still being held there, according to Israeli officials.

Thirty of them are believed to be dead, while more than 100 had been freed during a one-week truce that ended on Dec 1.

Three hostages were mistakenly killed by Israeli soldiers in December, while some have been rescued in military operations.

— AFP photo A man holds a placard bearing the portrait of Israeli hostage Carmel Gat, as relatives and supporters of hostages held in Gaza since the Oct 7 attacks by Palestinian Hamas militants march during a demonstration calling for their release in Tel Aviv.