Hamas Says 33 Hostages Killed in Course of War in Gaza

Israeli soldiers play football near tanks and armored personnel carrier (APC), amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, June 2, 2024. (Reuters)
Israeli soldiers play football near tanks and armored personnel carrier (APC), amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, June 2, 2024. (Reuters)
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Hamas Says 33 Hostages Killed in Course of War in Gaza

Israeli soldiers play football near tanks and armored personnel carrier (APC), amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, June 2, 2024. (Reuters)
Israeli soldiers play football near tanks and armored personnel carrier (APC), amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, June 2, 2024. (Reuters)

Hamas said on Monday that 33 hostages in Gaza had been killed during the almost 14-month-old war between the Palestinian group and Israel in the enclave, without giving their nationalities.

Hamas added that other hostages had gone missing.

"With the continuation of your crazy war," it said in a statement addressed to Israel, "you could lose your hostages forever. Do what you have to do before it is too late."

Hamas shortly afterward published a video it said detailed when and how the hostages had been killed, blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their fate.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment, which came as Israeli military strikes continued in Gaza.

Hamas has called for an end to the war and total Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of any deal to release remaining hostages. Netanyahu has said the war will go on until Hamas is eradicated and poses no more threat to Israel.

Israel launched its war after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's military offensive has killed more than 44,400 Palestinians and displaced most of Gaza's population, Gaza officials say. Vast swathes of the enclave lie in ruins.

The Israeli military said Monday an Israeli American soldier who was believed to have been taken hostage alive on Oct. 7, 2023, is now presumed to have been killed during Hamas’ attack and his body taken into Gaza.  

Neutra, 21, was a New York native who enlisted in the Israeli military and was captured when Hamas attacked southern Israel.  

Neutra’s parents, Ronen and Orna, led a public campaign while he was thought to be alive for their son’s freedom. They spoke at protests in the US and Israel, addressed the Republican National Convention this year and kept up ties with the Biden administration in their crusade to secure their son’s release.  

In a statement announcing the death, the military did not say how it came to the conclusion over Neutra’s fate.  

He was one of seven American Israelis still held in Gaza, four of whom are now said to be dead. Hamas released a video of one, Edan Alexander, over the weekend, indicating he was still alive.  

In late summer, Hamas killed Hersh Goldberg-Polin, another prominent Israeli American hostage, along with five other captives, whose bodies the Israeli military recovered. 



Arab Proposal Aims to Counter Trump’s Plan to Displace Palestinians

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, and Qatar meet in Cairo a few days ago. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry).
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, and Qatar meet in Cairo a few days ago. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry).
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Arab Proposal Aims to Counter Trump’s Plan to Displace Palestinians

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, and Qatar meet in Cairo a few days ago. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry).
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, and Qatar meet in Cairo a few days ago. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry).

An emergency Arab League summit, set to take place in Egypt at the end of this month, will discuss an Arab proposal aimed at ensuring Palestinians remain on their land. This initiative directly counters US President Donald Trump’s plan advocating for the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the summit will present a unified Arab stance as an alternative to Trump’s. He emphasized that the plan will be based on Palestinian consensus and supported by broad Arab and international backing.

According to Arab League spokesperson Gamal Roshdy, the summit will focus on a reconstruction plan for Gaza while ensuring Palestinians remain in their homeland.

Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Cairo will host the emergency summit on February 27 to address the latest serious developments concerning Palestine. The meeting comes amid Trump’s continued push to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to other countries, including Egypt and Jordan.

Aboul Gheit firmly rejected any Arab concessions regarding Palestinian land, reiterating the Arab world’s commitment to a two-state solution. He slammed Trump for seeks to strip Palestinians of their rights, adding: “Neither he nor anyone else can buy Gaza.”

In late January, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi denounced any forced relocation of Palestinians, calling it an “injustice” that Egypt would not accept.

The Arab League also issued a statement last week rejecting Trump’s plan, saying it violates international law and undermines the two-state solution that is seen as the only viable path to lasting peace and security between Palestinians and Israelis.

The upcoming summit’s Arab proposal revolves around three key objectives: rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinians, launching a large-scale reconstruction initiative for Gaza and restoring the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) governance over the territory, leading to elections after a transitional period.

According to an Arab diplomatic source, Egypt and other Arab states are working on a framework to allow the PA to resume its administration of Gaza with minimal resistance from Hamas, which currently rules the coastal enclave.

Egypt has also announced plans to host an international conference, in collaboration with the United Nations, to facilitate Gaza’s reconstruction.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, political analyst Ashraf Al-Ashry noted that the proposal aims to prevent forced displacement, while enabling the PA to re-establish control over Gaza, ultimately paving the way for Palestinian elections.

Palestinian political analyst Shafiq Al-Talouli echoed this sentiment, stressing that Arab countries are taking serious steps to turn their vision for Palestine into reality by ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

“The most effective way to counter displacement efforts is Arab unity,” he stressed.

Moreover, he said post-war planning must focus on transferring control of Gaza back to the PA given that several European countries support this approach.

Such a step requires urgent Palestinian reconciliation, especially between Fatah and Hamas, he remarked.