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Hamas spokesperson, Abu Obeida, on Monday announced there are currently between 200 and 250 hostages being held in Gaza following the terror group’s brutal attack on October 7.
Abu Obeida, who is spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, admitted that obtaining a precise figure is challenging due to “security and logistical issues” but confirmed that at least 200 of these individuals are directly in Hamas’ custody.
Obeida also revealed that around 50 additional hostages are under the control of various other “resistance factions and in different locations.”
He referred to foreign hostages as “our guests,” and pledged to safeguard their lives and assured their release when the “situation on the ground permits.”
In his televised address, Obeida also dismissed the potential threat of an Israeli ground incursion into Gaza, stating, “It doesn’t scare us, and we are prepared for it.” He also reported an Israeli hostage’s death, allegedly resulting from recent Israeli airstrikes.
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In a separate interview, Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashal, who still wields considerable clout with the organization despite residing overseas, compared the number of hostages with the 6,000 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.
He claimed that the high-profile captives in Hamas’ hands — including senior officials from the IDF’s Gaza Division — are sufficient leverage to negotiate the release of all Palestinian detainees, according to remarks carried by AFP.
Mashal also touched upon the broader regional implications, emphasizing that any forced displacement of Gazans would not only threaten Egyptian national security but could also create a dangerous situation for Jordan. He inferred that a large-scale movement of Palestinians into neighboring countries might establish a precedent for Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.
Additionally, Mashal hailed Lebanon’s Hezbollah for its actions against Israel, though he signaled that Hamas requires more backing.
