Hamas to Release Information on Soldiers’ Bodies
The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military-terrorist wing of Hamas, announced its intention to broadcast an “important speech” on Tuesday evening, which will deal with Israeli citizens held captive in the Gaza Strip.
The video’s spokesman will be Abu Obeida, the official spokesman of the Al-Qassam Brigades, and the timing of the broadcast was chosen for its close proximity to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s speech at the memorial ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the 2014 Gaza war.
Hamas has been holding the bodies of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul since the 2014 Operation Protective Edge.
In addition, two Israeli civilians who went missing in Gaza – Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed – are believed to be held by Hamas as well.
Hamas frequently uses the media to exert pressure on the government of Israel through its captives in order to soften its positions on a prisoner exchange deal.
Hamas also gave details of the situation of Israeli missing persons (some of them dead) prior to the release of terrorists who were released in the Schalit deal and were re-arrested by Israel.
