Israel attack: What we know about Hamas’ hostages, missing foreign nationals

globalnews.ca:

Hamas is currently holding a “substantial” number of people hostage, according to Israel’s military, as fears grow that those could include foreign nationals from up to 12 different countries who are missing after the militant group’s unprecedented attack.

Israel’s military said Saturday that the number taken hostage in a surprise attack launched by Hamas the same day could be more than 100.

Hamas said it would kill one Israeli hostage and broadcast it any time Israel bombs civilians in their homes in Gaza “without prior warning,” according to an audio message from the group’s spokesman, Abu Obeida, the Associated Press reported Monday. He said in a recorded audio message Saturday that hostages were “present in all axes in the Gaza Strip,” according to CNN.

Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua told the AP that the group’s fighters have captured more Israelis as recently as Monday morning, and Hamas aims to free all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Among the captives are soldiers and civilians, including women, children and older adults, mostly Israelis but also other nationalities, according to the report.

Meanwhile, another Palestinian armed group, Islamic Jihad, said Sunday it is holding more than 30 hostages.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen warned Hamas against harming any of the hostages, saying, “This war crime will not be forgiven.”

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared Hamas to ISIS, saying that the former has bound children and executed them along with their families.

“We have always known who Hamas is. Now the entire world knows. Hamas is ISIS. And we will defeat it just like the enlightened world defeated ISIS. This vile enemy wanted war and it will get war,” he said in a