Shortly after Israeli forces successfully rescued hostages Noa Argamani, Andrey Kozlov, Shlomi Ziv, and Almog Meir on Saturday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh released a statement asserting that the militant group would continue its resistance and would not surrender.
Haniyeh declared, “Our people will not surrender, and the resistance will continue to defend our rights in the face of this criminal enemy. If the occupation believes that it can impose its choices on us by force, it is delusional, and the movement will not agree to any agreement that does not achieve security for our people first and foremost.” He accused the Israeli military of committing massacres against Palestinians in Gaza, specifically citing incidents in Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported that at least 93 Palestinians, who were killed during Israeli operations in Nuseirat and other central regions of the Gaza Strip, were brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital on Saturday. The ministry’s figures, which do not differentiate between combatants and civilians, have been scrutinized for allegedly inflating the proportion of women and children among the casualties.
Later, Hamas issued another statement claiming that the Israeli rescue operation did not alter what it described as Israel’s strategic failure in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that the organization still held the majority of hostages. Additionally, Hamas boasted of its capability to capture more hostages in the future.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for an emergency UN Security Council session to address what he termed “the bloody massacre carried out by the Israeli forces.” This statement referred to the successful rescue of four hostages, which was accompanied by intense firefights.
The ongoing conflict and the exchange of such statements underscore the deep and persistent tensions in the region, with both sides continuing to assert their positions amid escalating violence and humanitarian concerns.
