Former Hamas hostages have warned the Israeli army of the “huge danger” hidden in Gaza’s 300-mile tunnel system — as they call for a new ceasefire deal to free remaining captives.
Some of the more than 100 hostages freed last month met with Israeli officials Saturday night to discuss what they went through in Gaza, the Times of Israel reported.
A former hostage, who has not been publicly named, told Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz that their weeks in captivity were spent fearing they could die at any moment.
“No time. Every day that passes is scary,” said the freed Israeli. “You have no idea what kind of monster we’re up against.”
The former hostages claimed Hamas told them that the Israel Defense Forces would use the infamous “Hannibal Order” on civilians, the scrapped protocol that once allegedly asked the military to prioritize eliminating terrorists even if it meant killing a kidnapped soldier.
Members of Israel’s war cabinet met with former hostages and families of current prisoners. News 12 Former captives warned of the amount of movement in Hamas’ underground tunnels, where some corridors are large enough to allow vehicles through. IDF
“We are afraid when [IDF] the bombing is near,” said the former hostage. “They were so close that we begged them to take us into the tunnel [for safety]and at one stage they did.”
The person added that Israeli soldiers should avoid the tunnel at all costs, as Hamas would not hesitate to hide behind its hostages.
“Don’t go into the tunnel,” the freed hostage warned. “They move there in large numbers. It is a great danger to soldiers and hostages.”
With the continued danger facing those abducted on October 7, the former hostage said the Jewish state must do everything possible to free the more than 100 Israelis still being held in Gaza.
The IDF said Sunday that it had found one such tunnel near the border, offering a rare glimpse into how it was built. Freed IDF Hostages call on Israel to do whatever it takes to negotiate the release of more than 100 people still held in Gaza. via REUTERS
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Gallant and Gantz assured those attending the meeting, including relatives of the captives, that freeing the hostages was their priority.
“First, the hostages must be returned. We will have a lifetime to fight Hamas,” Gantz said.
The war cabinet minister added that capturing Hamas’s top commander in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, would only be a symbolic victory and the real fight was to eliminate his ambitions from Gaza.
Hostage safety has become a hot topic especially after three Israeli hostages were mistakenly killed by the IDF.
Yotam Haim, Samer Talalka and Alon Shamriz were shot dead when they were accidentally “targeted” in Shejaiya by Israeli soldiers..
It believes the three hostages “escaped or were abandoned by the terrorists who held them,” according to the IDF.
Shamriz, 26, was buried Sunday in a funeral service that saw hundreds of people gather at the cemetery in Shafiim. It is not clear whether any government officials attended the funeral.
Ido Shamriz attended the funeral of his brother, Alon Shamriz, on Sunday after Ido was mistakenly killed by the IDF along with two other hostages. Reuters
Since the hostage’s death, Netanyahu appeared to suggest Saturday that a new round of negotiations was under way with Hamas and Qatar to free those still held in Gaza.
It was reported Saturday that the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency is meeting with Qatari officials to discuss a possible new hostage deal with Hamas.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
