Hamas Warns Hostages Will Return in “Coffins” If Israeli Military Pressure Continues

On Monday, Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, issued a stark warning that hostages would be returned to Israel “inside coffins” if Israeli military operations persisted. Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the brigades, emphasized that “new instructions” had been given to militants guarding the captives, particularly if Israeli forces approached their locations.

This statement comes in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent insistence on freeing the hostages through military means rather than negotiating a deal. “Netanyahu’s insistence on liberating the prisoners through military pressure instead of concluding a deal will mean that they will return to their families inside coffins,” Obeida warned.

The situation has further escalated following Netanyahu’s statement that six hostages, whose bodies were recovered over the weekend, had been “executed” by Hamas. This ongoing conflict continues to intensify tensions in the region, with the fate of the remaining hostages hanging in the balance.