‘Farewell picture’ of 48 hostages raises alarm as Gaza war rages on; families call for urgent ceasefire

As the war in Gaza rages on, Hamas has released a poster on Saturday with the images of the 48 hostages which remain in captivity. The release of this poster has raised alarm across Israel, especially among the families of the hostages, who have renewed their calls for an urgent ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.

In the poster released by Hamas, images of the remaining 48 Israeli captives were shared, each captioned as “Ron Arad”, a reference to the Israeli air force captain who went missing in 1986 in Lebanon.

Ron Arad was captured by the Amal movement and handed over to Hezbollah. While there is no conclusive proof of his death, Israel has been unable to locate the pilot and is presumed dead.

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The image, shared by Al Qassam Brigade, the armed wing of Hamas, was circulated with a statement blaming Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for putting the lives of the remaining captives in danger.

“Because of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s intransigence and [Chief of General Staff Eyal] Zamir’s submission, this is a farewell photo at the beginning of the operation in Gaza,” read the statement.

The poster from Hamas comes as Israel launched its “occupy Gaza city” plan and increased movement of the military in Gaza.

The image, which was shared by Hamas on its official website, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has voiced its concern regarding the fate of the remaining hostages as tens of thousands of Israelis rallied across the country once again.

‘Time to save Israel’

In an official statement, the hostages families forum called on the Netanyahu government to ensure the safe return of the hostages.

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“There will be no other time to save our brothers and sisters who have languished in [Hamas’s] for 713 days already. We will not permit the sacrifice of the hostages and soldiers. Together we’ll save Israel,” read the statement.

A total of 48 hostages are said to be in Hamas captivity, of which 47 were taken during the October 7, 2023, attack and the remains of an IDF soldier killed in 2014. As per the IDF, at least 26 of these 48 have been confirmed dead.

Along with protests organised by the hostage families forum, several anti-government demonstrations also broke out across Israel, accusing the Netanyahu government of prolonging the war.