Hamas Announces Death Of Two Hostages, Blames Israel
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
GAZA/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Hamas, condemned as a terrorist organization by Israel, announced on Monday the death of two Israeli hostages.
A video apparently showed the human remains of Yossi Sharabi, 53, and 38-year-old Itai Svirsky.
A third hostage, Noa Argamani, 26, said in the video that they died due to attacks by their “own” Israeli forces in Gaza.
Argamani was previously seen in a video being abducted from the Nova music fest in Israel on October 7, screaming, “Don’t kill me!” from the back of a motorcycle.
She said in the new footage that she had been held in a building with her fellow two hostages by Hamas’ military wing when an Israeli airstrike hit the site.
“It was bombed by an IDF airstrike, an F16 fighter jet,” Argamni added in the video, which lasts 2 minutes and 33 seconds.
“Three rockets were fired. Two of the rockets exploded, and the other didn’t,” she added in remarks apparently made under duress.
THREE ISRAELIS
“We were in the building with Al Qassam soldiers and three hostages: Myself, Noa Argamani, Itai Svirsky, and Yossef Sharabi,” Argamni explained.
The three Israelis were also shown in a Hamas video on Sunday in which the group urged the Israeli government to halt its aerial and ground offensive and bring about their release.
It ended with the caption: “Tomorrow (Monday), we will inform you of their fate.”
They were among about 240 people being kidnapped more than 100 days ago by Hamas fighters.
Hamas also killed some 1,200 people in the worst recorded atrocity in modern-day Israel’s 75-year history.
Around half of the hostages were released during a short-lived November truce, but Israel says 132 remain in Gaza and that at least 25 have died in captivity.
Last month, Sharabi’s brother-in-law, Raz Matalon, described his family’s desperation to be reunited with both Sharabi and his brother Eli Sharabi, who he said was also taken hostage.
FEELING URGENCY
“This is a feeling of urgency that I never felt in my life,” Matalon said at the time.
Eli Sharabi’s wife, Lianne, and their two children, Yahel, 13, and Noiya, 16, were killed in Hamas’ attack. Yossi Sharabi’s wife and daughters survived the attack.
Monday’s video about the dead hostages emerged a day after Hamas’ armed wing spokesman Abu Ubaida said that “many” Israeli hostages may have been killed.
He made the announcement to mark the 100th day since the outbreak of Israel’s war against Hamas, which was prompted by the Hamas massacre on October 7.
The spokesman warned that the fate of “many” Israeli hostages has become unknown.
Abu Ubaida said many of the hostages “may have been killed,” blaming their fate on Israel. However, Israel has accused Hamas of using civilians, including hostages, as human shields.
The Hamas-run health ministry claims about 24,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war against Hamas in October, but those figures have been complex to verify independently.
If you are interested in articles produced by Worthy News, please check out our FREE sydication service available to churches or online Christian ministries. To find out more, visit Worthy Plugins.