Hamas says IDF shelling killed 60 Israeli prisoners since 7 October

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, announced on Sunday that nearly 60 Israeli prisoners have been killed since 7 October as a result of the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.

In a document titled “Our Narrative… Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”, Hamas said that the Israeli occupation’s crimes in the Gaza Strip, the shelling, and the destruction that led to the killing of nearly 60 prisoners, clearly reveal the occupation’s disregard for the lives of its soldiers and settlers, and its willingness to sacrifice them to avoid paying the price of its decades-old, brutal military occupation.

The document cited Israeli testimonies indicating that Israeli army raids and operations resulted in the killing of many Israelis captured in settlements and army barracks around Gaza.

The shelling and destruction of homes during clashes with the resistance on 7 October and in the following days led to the killing of some Israeli settlers and resistance members. This was due to Israel’s Hannibal doctrine, which prioritises killing Israeli citizens rather than let them be taken prisoner by the Palestinian resistance fighters.

Operation Al-Aqsa Flood saw nearly 250 individuals captured, soldiers as well as some civilians. Almost all Israelis are in the army or have served previously and are now reservists.

On 24 November, a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip. The terms of the ceasefire included the release of 105 detainees from Gaza, 80 of whom were Israelis, and most of whom were women and children. In exchange, 240 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, were released by Israel.

READ: UN’s Guterres condemns Israel for ‘heartbreaking’ killings in Gaza