- A sizable number of Israeli soldiers and civilians are being held captive in the Gaza Strip.
- Some captives were seized from an outdoor gathering in Kibbutz Re ‘im.
- Two Israelis were freed in Kibbutz Urim on Saturday after being held captive by Hamas operatives.
According to Lt Col Jonathan Conricus, a sizable number of Israeli soldiers and civilians are being held captive in the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas. Others are supposedly deceased, while some are still alive.
They had been transported to sites throughout the Gaza Strip and the number of Israelis taken prisoner was “several times greater” than dozens. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, claimed that Hamas was in charge of ensuring their safety and that Israel would “settle the score with anyone who harms them.”
Israeli hostages
Other videos are circulating online that claim to show Israelis being held by Hamas fighters. In one independently authenticated video, a truck in the Gaza Strip is shown being pushed past crowds while allegedly transporting Israeli hostages.
The unshod woman being dragged off the back of a vehicle while having her bloodied hands tied behind her back is depicted in another geo-located image of the Gaza Strip.
According to reports, some captives were seized from an outdoor gathering in Kibbutz Re’im, a neighborhood in the southern Israeli city of Ofakim. Israeli media was informed by witnesses that terrorists on motorcycles opened fire on participants, many of whom are still unaccounted for.
A woman who attended the party appears to be being kidnapped and being carried on a motorcycle by two men in videos shared on social media that have not been authenticated by the BBC.
Israeli armed personnel are said to have liberated hostages who were being held captive in two sites in the south outside of the Gaza Strip. In Kibbutz Be’eri, prisoners who had been held captive in a dining room for 18 hours were freed, according to Israeli television. There may have been up to 50 persons detained there, according to Israeli media accounts.
Two Israelis were freed in Kibbutz Urim on Saturday after being held captive by Hamas operatives in a home for several hours. Residents rushed to bomb bunkers as gunmen stormed into the city after rocket sirens went off in the area. Later, Israeli forces murdered the insurgents.
