Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida said the group had acted in accordance with Islam by keeping Israeli captives safe. But he added that in exchange for every Israeli bombing of a civilian home without warning, he will begin executing a captive Israeli civilian.
“Every attack against our people without prior warning will be responded to with the execution of one of the civilian hostages,” the Ezzeldin al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said in a statement.
“The enemy does not understand the language of humanity and ethics, so we will address them in the language they understand,” they added.
The spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing later stated that the group will not negotiate over Israeli captives “under fire.” Abu Ubaida added in a video speech broadcast on the group’s television channel that Israel should be willing to “pay the price” in exchange for the captives’ freedom.
Israel bombs Gaza in response to an unprecedented offensive by the Palestinian Islamist group launched on Saturday that has left hundreds dead on both sides.
The Palestinian Islamist movement launched a surprise offensive by land, sea and air against Israel on Saturday, comparing the attack to the attacks in the United States of September 11, 2001. Hamas fighters who managed to infiltrate Israel fled back to the enclave with a hundred hostages.
Since then, more than 800 people have been killed on the Israeli side and more than 2,600 injured, according to authorities. Hamas militants killed up to 250 people participating in a music festival near the Palestinian enclave, according to the Zaka NGO, which helped in the operations to recover the bodies.