Hamas released conflicting accounts regarding the deaths of six Israeli hostages in captivity, claiming it is investigating the circumstances of the incident.
Sources in the Gaza Strip allege that Yahya Sinwar ordered the murders to pressure Israel into accepting his terms. However, Hamas denies these allegations.
The organization continues to disseminate falsehoods about how Hamas terrorists murdered the six Israeli hostages in a tunnel near Rafah. Initially, Hamas claimed an Israeli Air Force strike killed the hostages.
Hours later, they changed the story, alleging that IDF soldiers shot the hostages.
Izzat al-Risheq, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, blamed Israel on August 31, stating, “Those responsible for the deaths of the hostages held by the resistance are the [Israeli] occupation, which insists on continuing the war of extermination and avoids reaching a cease-fire agreement, and the American government, because of its support and collaboration in this aggression. The hostages whose bodies were found in the Gaza Strip were killed in Zionist attacks.”
Recall that “Abu Obeidah,” the spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, announced at the beginning of the war on October 9, 2023, that Hamas would execute an Israeli prisoner for every “massacre” Israel carried out in the Gaza Strip. This video was later removed from Hamas’s website.
On September 1, Hamas officials told the newspaper A-Sharq Alawsat that there was no decision or intention within Hamas to kill the Israeli hostages and that Abu Obeidah’s statement was unofficial.
According to the report, Hamas informed all mediators, countries, and organizations in contact with its leadership that no instructions were given to kill the hostages.
However, the Arab world cast doubt on this version.
Hamas sources claim that until recently, the standing order was to preserve the lives of the hostages, as living hostages would fetch a “higher price” in negotiations than dead ones.
Specifically, fewer living hostages would translate to fewer Palestinian prisoners freed in a future trade.
On August 12, Abu Obeidah announced that two Hamas operatives, responsible for guarding Israeli hostages, shot one hostage dead and seriously wounded two others.
Hamas officials claimed these gunmen acted against orders out of a desire for revenge after one received news of his children’s deaths in an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip.
Following this incident, the two men were removed from their duties guarding hostages, according to the A-Sharq Alawsat report.
Hamas vehemently denies any change in instructions regarding the hostages’ safety.
A Hamas source told Al-Sharq Alawsat that it is possible the six hostages were killed by IDF fire after reaching the tunnel where they were held or that Hamas operatives guarding them were forced to kill them to prevent the IDF from achieving a successful hostage rescue.
Hamas claims an internal investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the hostages’ deaths.
Sources within Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip stated that there is a directive to prevent the IDF from retrieving Israeli hostages alive, as the action would be considered an Israeli victory.
The death of these six hostages, who were supposed to be released as part of a deal, is seen as a loss for Hamas that could impact ongoing negotiations with Israel.
Did the Order Come from Sinwar Himself?
In contrast, other sources in Gaza claim that Yahya Sinwar authorized the killings to shock Israeli society and increase pressure on the Israeli government to meet Hamas’s demands in negotiations.
They argue that Sinwar believes he has sufficient Israeli hostages to continue negotiations and that it is unlikely the guards acted independently in such a sensitive matter without receiving instructions from above.
